


And All You Come With

by eam



Category: Game Grumps
Genre: Age Difference, F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Romance, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-30
Updated: 2018-05-28
Packaged: 2018-09-13 09:45:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 16
Words: 48,174
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9118303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eam/pseuds/eam
Summary: Emily McLeod only has one clear goal in life - to get her degree. Well, that, and to not go totally insane, but that connects to the whole "being in school" thing, other than that nothing is set in stone. Something, by the way, that Emily is one-hundred percent okay with - she's only twenty-two, she isn't supposed to have her life figured out. But for what it counts, Emily's life is content, and objectively boring.Enter Dan Avidan, a thirty-seven year old entertainment triple threat who lives almost two thousand kilometres away from her, who makes her heart do funny things and made Emily's life just that more complicated.How did this happen? And more importantly, can they overcome the obstacles in their way?





	1. Debates on Hoe-ing

Five minutes. Emily had only been in the LAX for five minutes, and she already hated it. America is always chaotic; she lived in Victoria where Washington was just a hop, skip, and ferry ride away. Plus Roe used to live in Washington, so it was a trip Emily made often. But LA was an entirely different ballpark. The airport was insane; people with their families darted about, not caring if they were cutting anyone off and causing a foot traffic jam - and none of these people looked like they were running to catch the plane. Every ten minutes there was some update on a flight that couldn’t make up their mind on whether they were going to be on time. Groups of kids her age were in gaggles, either on vacation, or had just arrived in the cities carting music equipment with them.

As a young twenty-something living away from home at university, Emily felt like she should be used to the chaos. However, as the girl whose ideal Friday night is curling up on her couch with a mug of hot chocolate and a book or period movie - she was wholly unprepared.

Nonetheless, Emily draped the front of her pastel, baby pink cardigan around her, subtly fixed her leggings, and grabbed her paisley bag. Chaos she could deal with, granted the kind she was used to was more of the Japanese variety - and even that had some twisted semblance of order, but goddammit, if she couldn’t deal with LA then she was a disgrace to half of her family. She fought through the hordes of people clamouring to grab their luggage, spotting the mid-sized, light coloured rectangle that stood out from the sea of black rectangles, and blew her bangs out of her face.

 _Alright Em,_ she thought to herself, you got this, you got this. The sooner you deal with this, the sooner you can get to Roe and get out of this godforsaken airport.

She grabbed it and managed to awkwardly pull it off the carousel, the handle pulling out, and making it even more awkward to drag it over other suitcases that had been on the floor. By the time she managed to get a few feet away Emily was breathing a bit more heavily than she cared to admit.

* * *

Walking out of the gate, Emily scanned the mass for Roe’s face. She didn’t find it, but she did see a jumping blur holding a sign with her name on it so, close enough. She ran to the end of the walkway and all but leaped into her best friend’s arms, both girls screaming, just barely being heard over the dull roar of everyone else.

Roe grabbed Emily’s luggage, ignoring Emily’s objections -  “ _It’s not that heavy!”,_ and they walked arm and arm out the doors.

“Okay, so am I going to finally meet this boyfriend of yours? Anthony?” Emily demanded, “because it has been like pulling teeth trying to even hear about him, I tell you about all the men in my life!”

Roe gave her a deadpanned look, “the only men in your life are dead.”

“Listen … listen that’s besides the point. Also! Does not answer the boyfriend question. ”

“Yup! He asked his best friend to give us a ride here, and he’s driving us back. The shuttle bus takes so long, and he figured that the taxi would be expensive _and_ is long! Especially with the traffic here” she said, directing her friend to the airport parking lot.

The duo stopped at a car that had two men leaning against it, one holding a tray of two coffees while they both had their own already. Upon seeing the girls, they stopped whatever they were talking about and one bent over slightly to give Roe a peck on the cheek.

“Hi, My name is Anthony” the one that was obviously Roe’s boyfriend said, “and this is Lee, my friend.” Said friend smiled and shook her hand, quiet ‘nice to meet you’s’ were exchanged.

As Roe’s best friend, Emily wasn’t about to let her best friend’s first real boyfriend get away with such a simple introduction. Awkwardly raising onto her toes to almost match his five eleven height, Emily gave Anthony a hug.

The entire ride back was filled with the typical questions of the flights, the two girls’ plans, and Emily and Anthony vetting each other on all the things Roe hadn’t mentioned about the other - at one point Emily may have called her best friend’s boyfriend of being a coward, but he couldn’t eat spicy food with Roe, so he deserved it. Every so often the conversation screeched to a halt as Anthony found some upbeat, dance song to play, and the quartet had to have their own mini-party make the LA traffic bearable.

* * *

Emily walked into the living room late that night with a towel wrapped around her soaking head, dressed in her classic t-shirt and shorts sleep combo. Roe was already sitting in her own pajamas on the couch, _Netflix_ ready to go, scrolling through her phone, while a teapot sat on the coffee table in front of them.

Arriving at said couch, Emily flopped down so she was snuggled up to her best friend and whipped out her camera. Emily quickly snapped herself with a face-breaking grin while Roe simply flashed a peace sign and her signature bitchface. Sending it off to Leighla back home she sat back up and curled into a ball with a blanket and her tea in her clutches. She knew when Leighla must have received the picture because her phone immediately started ringing.

“Good to know you aren’t dead,” her roommate’s said as soon as Emily pressed accept.

“Yeah no, it's unfortunate, there is no Bermuda triangle in Oregon,” she deadpanned in return, “couldn’t do my infamous disappearing act.”

“Loser.”

“Jackass.”

“So how are you dealing with not having a roommate for a bit?” Roe questioned, “I’m still upset that you didn’t come down with Em.”

“Man, you know I wanted to,” Leighla said, “but Jess could not find anyone to cover my shifts, and I couldn’t leave her like that - besides, I get you all to myself next VidCon boo.”

“Hell yeah you do,” Roe said in a fake flirty voice.

“Wow. love you guys too, just saying, I get it, who needs love anyways? Not me, that's for sure definitely not me” Emily mockingly lamented. She could hear the eye-rolls her two best friends were giving her.

“Ah, speaking of loving you,” Leighla chimed in, “Roe, I need you to find her like … a man to have a summer fling with while she’s down there.”

“UHM?” Emily exclaimed surprised, giving her phone a strange look.

“Well like, my boyfriend has a friend, Em actually met him today and I think they would do pretty well together.”

Emily whipped her head around and giving her friend an alarmed look. “UHM?”

“That's good, that's good. She needs to get laid - and after all, she’s on vacation.”

“Alright, since we’re apparently talking about _my_ vagina,” Emily interrupted, “one, I’m pretty sure you need to be somewhere longer than a week, or eight days, however ever long I’m here - you need to be vacationing for longer than that in order to have a quote, unquote, summer fling.”

“Well ...” Roe drawled.

“No, no! You do - for _one_ . Secondly, when have I, or was I, _ever_ the type to do the fuck buddy-one night stand thing?” she shrugged, “I could be halfway across the world, doesn’t mean that I’m suddenly going to hop my virgin ass into the sack with someone I’m not in a relationship with.”

“Hop into the … alright _grandma_ ,” Leighla mocked, “I’m just saying … you’ve barely bothered with the romance thing since high school.”

“I’ve been on dates!”

“Yeah, _a few_ that don’t go anywhere because you don’t know how to be in a relationship, we’ve heard all about them,” Roe added, “and I know that university make you think that you have no time for a bf, so maybe like, a casual vacation time boyfriend or something like … what's it called? ‘Play the field’ or something”

“Yeah! Be a hoe!”

“ _No!_ ”

“Anyways,” Leighla said, “I gotta get back to editing, I just wanted to make sure you made it to LA in one piece, bye!”

“Bye!” Roe and Emily chorused, the latter tacking a “sweetheart” on the end.

Emily shot Roe an incredulous look, receiving only a sarcastic shrug in response.

  
“I hate you both.”

“Love you!”

It’s not like Emily was unaware at how ridiculous her predicament was - because a hopeless romantic that’s never had a boyfriend and somehow always ended up giving her friends love advice? Yeah, the irony was not lost on her. And it’s not like the possibility of a relationship was totally impossible, she was oblivious not completely blind. It was just that, as Emily had been forced to explain to her family multiple times, she just didn’t see the point in starting something with someone for the sake of being able to say that she was someone’s girlfriend.

Didn’t mean she didn’t _imagine_ what it  might be like, but it did mean she didn’t dwell on it.

 _‘Anyways’_ , Emily thought expelling any other thoughts about men from her head and flopping down so her head rested in Roe’s lap.

“You both still suck though,” she said, glaring up at her best friend and pressing play, determined to have the last word.

* * *

Eventually, the teapot was empty, the second movie was over, and the two girls were fighting to keep their eyes open.

“Oh hey, before I forget, just so you know” Roe said, putting down her phone and handing Emily her mug to put in the sink, “I have just a few more things to do for school, so you will have like … maybe a couple of afternoon or morning without me. Sorry”. Roe slung an arm around her.

“It’s not like I’m a small child, I can take care of myself … my screams of terror will only be heard from _three_ blocks away” Emily waved her off, causing the two of them to chuckle, “Just tell me, is there an old CD or music store close-ish to here? I’ve been meaning to check one out for ages - just lemme know in the morning”.

As the two of them collapsed into Roe’s bed, Emily tried not to think about how nervous the idea of being alone in LA made her feel.


	2. Learning About Older Music and Men

Emily would later think about, in retrospect, that it was a miracle they didn’t get a neighbour knocking on their door to complain about the noise. Every morning, without fail, the two blasted the radio as they got ready for the day, and were basically yelling on top of it to be heard. Within a few days, the two fell into the groove of things of living together again, which helped Emily feel a little less anxious about being left to fend for herself in LA when Roe told her that she had to head to school for a day. On the morning of that day, Emily sat on the floor in shorts and a grey t-shirt, in front of the window putting on her makeup for the day, bopping her head along to the music playing. Roe stepped out of the en-suite bathroom, steam billowing, and tendrils of hair still soaked but not dripping everywhere.

“Hey … Em, how much do you love me?” Roe asked, plopping down next to Emily

She side-eyed the Thai girl, recapping the setting spray she used.

“Generally, more than life itself,” she said, “but right now? … what do you want?”

Roe plunked her own makeup bag in Emily’s lap, made prayer hands, and all but slammed her forehead into her best friend’s shoulder.

“Please, do my makeup for me. Especially eyeliner and eyebrows, it’s too hard”.

Emily snorted, but opened the bag anyways, “y’know, you wouldn’t have to ask me to do it for you if you just let me teach how to work with liquid eyeliner.”

“I guess, but it’s so much easier to ask you to do it,” Roe said simply with a shrug. Emily gave her an affectionate smile, but still groaned.

The ensuing twenty minutes were filled with laughter, and Emily holding Roe’s face in various ways. Roe tried explaining what her school work was, but they both knew that Emily didn’t understand the first thing about film editing or animation.

Of course, Roe had a hard time keeping up with Emily when she got going about how things were going with school and her major, so it wasn’t a half-bad trade off.

“C’mon,” Roe said, as they finished up and Emily was grabbing a yellow cardigan, “I’ll buy you a coffee since I kind of have to ditch you until later this evening.”

* * *

Emily looked down at the little piece of paper, and back up at the sign above the door, “Sonar Eclipse”. It had taken her a couple of wrong turns before she finally conceded to pull out the Map app and find the little hole-in-the-wall shop. Walking around in wedge heels and the California heat made her tie her hair back as she, rather unsuccessfully, fanned herself with her phone.

Pushing the door open a bell went off, alerting the clerk of her existence, and gaining her a quick smile. Emily had walked past a few oldie music stores back home, but they were always either on the way to or from school - and knowing how much research she had to do, could never bring herself to actually go in one. But if they were anything like this one she might just consider it when she got back home.

The place wasn’t overly large, but it was obvious from a glance the different mediums of music they carried - with vinyls in the far back leading up to CDs closest to her. Album art adorned the walls, and along the counters were what seemed to be posters, music books, instruments - if you could think of it, and it related to music, it was probably here. The tables that held the music were of distressed wood, and the walls were faded - but not uncared for; everything about the place just screamed that they had been there for a while. But most importantly, they had at least updated enough to have air conditioning.

“Anything you looking for in particular?” said the man behind the counter, his voice not unkind, but not warm either.

“Uhm, yes, actually,” she said, moving closer, “eighties rock? Some nineties too? Maybe? Uhh, even metal if it isn’t too aggressive or scream-y? Sorry if that's a bit vague”

He offered the kind of condescending smile you’d offer a twelve year old who went to the mall with their parents money and acted like it was their own. Emily’s hackles raised.

“You’re gonna want the middle section” he said, gesturing with a pen, “just holler if you need help with anything”. There wasn’t really a defined ‘middle section’ per say, but someone else in the section of racks the clerk had vaguely gestured at, so if nothing else if he tried to holler at her for something, she could just pretend it was for them.

That someone, and honestly the only other person in the store, was a giant (immediately dubbed Mr. Giant in Emily’s mind) who had to be over six feet tall and whose face was overtaken by the mop of curly hair he had. Who, despite the warm weather, wore blue jeans and a leather jackets, and maybe a bright blue toque peeking out from his pocket?

 _Of course, he would probably call it a ‘beanie’_ Emily thought to herself, _and if he’s a local then maybe this is cool weather even._ The contrast was still kind of funny though, for it to be late August and this man dressed up for fall while her only cover-up was a thin cardigan.

She stopped at the same rack as him, though on the opposite side, and a few sections down from him. Looking at the CD covers they looked to be right, or at least she recognized a few that were just common knowledge due to pop culture.

Emily dug her wallet out of her bag and extracted a piece of paper “The List” as was written for a heading, with not only one or two, but three underlines. She went through the list and picked out any album with a band name on it from her list - she would decide later which ones she’d specifically want, since she wasn’t that committed to learning about all this.

As her search brought her farther down the stand, a certain band name caught her attention. It wasn’t one she had written down, but it made her do a double take.

“The fuck kind of name is The Birthday Massacre?” she asked under breath, “these guys seem a bit too old to be in their emo phase”.

By now Mr. Giant was in front of her, and he let out a snort.

“They’re not half bad,” he said softly, “a personal favourite, actually”.

“Obviously they can’t be bad, if they have a name like The Birthday Massacre and have a following” she mused. The man gave her a ‘can’t beat your logic there’ look .

“They formed in the late nineties, they’re an east coast, Canadian - ”

“Done. Sold.” she interrupted, earning a stare from Mr. Giant, “they’re Canadian, I’m Canadian, gotta support my boys.”

He looked at her with an amused smile and checked out her stack of CDs, giving them an appreciative nod, “nice”.

She smiled, “thanks, but they’re actually for educational purposes”.

His eyes widened, and a grin grew across his face, “please, please, tell me you’re a teacher who is using classic rock as part of an assignment or something”. He looked so hopeful and excited, Emily almost wanted to lie to him.

“Man, y’know I wish I was, but they’re actually for my education,” she picked a few from the pile, “I’m not going to get all of them, but I don’t really know anything about these bands. And since they’re supposedly bands that everyone knows, I thought that they’d probably be a good place to start”.

Mr. Giant strode around the stand and pulled up next to her.

“In that case, if I may?” he asked, waiting for a nod before delving into her collection, “this one, this one , this one, uhhh, I’d recommend both of these, honestly, but ultimately their earlier album is a bit easier to listen to across the board ...”

Within minutes Mr. Giant had sorted through her pile of CDs and even helped her put the rejects (“for now” he told her with a cheeky smirk) away.

“And it doesn’t look like it’s on your list,” he said from the next rack over, “but if you don’t get at least one Rush album, your education will be incomplete, and I’ll be personally offended”.

Smiling, Emily took it, “well, I am assuming you haven’t led me astray thus far”.

Mr. Giant followed her to the counter where she paid for her items, the clerk warming up to her slightly before turning the man beside her.

“Nothing today Dan?”

Mr. Giant, or, Dan, waved him off, “nah, just wanted to come in and chill for a bit”.

Dan ran ahead of her and opened the door, which was unnecessary - she only had one hand full - but appreciated nonetheless.

“By the way, the name’s Danny, or Dan. Me, my name” he said once they were outside.

She shook his hand and smiled, “evidently,” she said, nodding towards the store they had just left, “and I’m Emily, or Em. Or whatever you want to call me honestly., thanks for all your help Dan.” Turning, Emily figured she had taken up enough of his time.

Dan apparently didn’t think so.

“Uhm, there’s a coffee shop a few doors down,” he said, making Emily turn back around, “If you aren’t busy or anything, uhh, I could go through the bands with you, let you know what to expect when you get to give them a listen?”

It was about lunch time, and Roe had told her that she’d be home in time for dinner.

So Emily smiled up at him.

“That sounds pretty great Danny.”

* * *

They had been sitting in the coffee shop for almost two hours. Danny had already gone through all the CDs, told her the mini history of them all - and if Emily wasn’t already a history major, she would have malfunctioned from an information overload a while ago. That somehow devolved into stories of Danny’s sister and nephews and friends, complete with photos that Emily met with her own tales and pictures. How Dan had only been in LA a few years, and how Emily was only in town visiting her best friend - but she’d probably be back often. They talked about movies that had just come out, and cute animals, and what seemed like every possible subject under the sun. Emily found herself becoming more and more invested in this near stranger, and even felt her entire body language open up to Danny. She noticed Danny mirroring some of what she was doing, so the realization wasn’t half bad.

“So, I gotta ask, why don’t you know these classics?” Dan asked, putting down his mug and pulling the conversation back to music.

She took a minute to think about how to word the response, “well, alright. So my mom is an immigrant - she’s from Japan, and even though she is one of the most intelligent people I know, the singing kind of goes over her head - y’know, since the lyrics can go kind of fast?”

Dan nodded, “my dad is Israeli, I get it”.

“Yeah, and y’know how there's the whole, ‘the music you grow up with is the kind of music you like when you decide what you like yourself’ blah blah blah, thing? Well, I grew up on like … Shania Twain, and this Irish boyband called Westlife … and like, the one Bon Jovi cassette that we kept in the car,” she explained, really getting into it, “and I used to be accused of that ‘fake fan’ bullshit for this in high school - despite the fact that I never claimed to be a fan in the first place but y’know, it's whatever Sarah” she hissed under her breath, as she usually did whenever she thought back to high school, “but ,uh, long story short, I figured it’s time me and Def Leppard get acquainted”

Dan snickered and nodded, “yes it is, and I can only guess you had some enemies in school then for not knowing the Gods of music?”

Emily rolled her eyes but brightened immediately, “absolutely not. Never had an enemy, but there was always just max maybe ten people I actually liked. But there was also only two I ever wanted to set on fire.”

Dan’s raised eyebrow and smirk compelled her to elaborate just a little bit more.

“They were the ultimate arrogant pricks” she said matter of factly, leaving it at that.

“Fair, fair enough.”

“And you laugh,” She said, pointing a finger, “but if the world was ever ending, and the only way to save the planet was for one of us to sing along to late nineties, early noughties Shania Twain - I’d own that bitch and save the world.” She shrugged at Dan’s laughter, “just saying”

The duo let silence befall them briefly, drinking their coffee and eating the pastries Emily had bought - wanting to try most of what was behind the display glass, and justifying it by convincing Dan to share with her.

“Y’know,” Dan said, “you have an amazing recollection of high school. I’m already starting to blank on some shit from back then.”

Emily knitted her eyebrows, confused, and looked up at the man, “... Dan? I have an approximate idea, but, uh, how old are you?”

“I turned thirty-seven this year, in March.”

“Ah”

“Why?” it was his turned to be confused, “wait, how old are you? Like … twenty-eight? Maybe? When’s your birthday?”

She let out a humourless laugh and interlocked her fingers on the table, looking away from him and pursed her lips.

“Just had my birthday, early July, and uhm … heh, you’re off by a few years,” she looked back up at him, “I just turned twenty-two.”

Dan’s eyes widened as his fork clattered against his plate. Time seemed to stop, or at least it did in their bubble. Emily wasn’t ready for their lunch to be over, she liked Dan. Or at the very least enjoyed his company, but she could see all the emotions running behind his eyes, and she couldn’t pinpoint which one he was likely to fall on. Surprise and disappointment were there (why disappointment she wondered does he not interact with people under thirty-two?), and either way, Emily was gearing up for hasty, bullshit excuse of him needing to flee. She dealt with people of similar ages to Danny all the time at school - heads of departments and such, and most of them didn’t feel the need to waste anytime with her, even if it was a quick hello; and while Dan seemed like a genuinely nice guy, he could very easily be the same way.

“Well, uh,” Dan said, breaking the silence and bringing Emily back to earth, “sorry for saying you look basically thirty -”

Emily smiled and scoffed. She waved her hand, about to go into the ‘I get it all the time’ speech she gave so often.

“- But also, you’re pretty cool, so if you don’t mind hanging out with an old man like me -”

She snorted.

“- I don’t really want to move. Though I will if you have better people to be around.”

“My best, and only friend in LA, has school stuff until early this evening,” she told him, “I am yours unless you have better people to be around.”

Emily prayed that Dan didn’t see the look of ‘oh shit’ on her face. “I am yours”? Really Em? She thought, like yes he’s attractive but goddamn you piece of shit. But it seemed he had taken the thirty seconds to contemplate something before holding his hand out.

“Could I see your phone super quickly?”

Emily wordless nodded, reaching into her bag, and unlocking the device once it was in front of her. Dan took it swiped around, tapping something, and handed it back.

“There, now you have two friends in L.A.,” he said, smiling “I’m unfortunately busy most of the time, but, while you’re here and your friend has school, hopefully I can spare some time so you aren’t wandering lost and alone.”

She gave him a light smile, and slightly confused eyebrows, “thanks Dan,” she said slowly.

“Don’t worry about it,” he said, with a wave of his own hand, “but anyways, your little hiss of whoever Sarah is, reminded me of my own high school bullshit.”

Emily put her phone face down on the table and leaned forward, elbows on the table and resting her face in her hands, “I’m such a petty hoe, please share this with me.”

He erupted in small chuckles, an incredulous look on his face, “you’re weird.”

She shrugged, “water is wet.”

Dan shook his head, “yeah, well. Anyways, there was this kid Michael in my grade ...”

As the two delved into story time for the next couple hours, their complimentary laughs were heard throughout the place, and it felt like they had known each other for years.

* * *

Hours later when the clock would soon be hitting midnight, Emily lay on the couch alone, with a face mask on, tea steaming on the table beside her, and the only background noise was the hum of the oven filled with cookies and Def Leppard coming from her laptop on the computer. Roe was upstairs, having excused herself a while a go to finish some work, but Emily heard the shower running, so she knew her calming alone time was coming to an end. 

Despite wasting the afternoon together, Dan had barely left her sight after parting ways when her phone went off,

 **Dan Avidan:**  
The picture I was telling you about:

Attached was a picture of a wolf tenderly jacking off a muscled man. Emily blinked a few times, and lowered the brightness of her screen so any nosy passersby wouldn’t be stopped in their tracks.

 **Emily McLeod:**  
Alright, cool, so we’re both going  
to hell. Thanks

All she got back was a few laughing emojis, and nothing after, assuming the man must be busy with the actual life he had in LA.

 

Now, late into the night, she just couldn't resist the urge to let him know. 

 **Emily McLeod** :   
"Photograph" is a decent song, tho  
I will admit the name alone makes  
me think of Nickelback

It took Dan less than two minutes to get back to her.

 **Dan Avidan** :  
Godless heathen! Shame on you  
and all your kin.

 **Dan Avidan** :  
No hope for you!

 **Dan Avidan** :  
Destined for hell!

Emily chuckled.

 **Emily McLeod** :  
Yeah yeah u crazy old man. Just  
wanted u to know my first  
impression

 **Emily McLeod** :  
Anyways, g'night man.

 **Dan Avidan** :  
Night :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm kinda pissed because I came up with decent way (to me at least) to format text messages so that they, y'know, actually kinda look like text messages. But apparently A03 doesn't support different fonts so i t ' s f i n e.


	3. Noodles to Warm the Heart

The rest of her visit was considerably less exciting. She had come down to LA to visit Roe, and spend time with her best friend, not to vacation or sight-see, so there were a few days where they didn’t leave their pajamas, where they sat on the couch, Anthony and Lee sometimes joining them, and left only to go to a tea place a block away. Until a couple days before she was supposed to leave, when Lee and Tony showed up at their building at eight am.

Emily would have been more upset if she hadn’t already been awake. It seemed that Dan was an early riser and had been sending her jokes in lieu of a ‘good morning’. Sometimes they were about the things they had talked about for hours, mostly it some Canadian stereotype he wanted to laugh at for being over-exaggerated, though he was usually disappointed when she told him that, no, whatever was happening in the link was plausible, and yes, moose were that terrifying.

She had actually just sent off an explanation of maple taffy when the boys appeared and buzzed the their door, demanding to be let in. They made it to the apartment at the same time Roe shuffled downstairs fully dressed.

“Surprise!” the three yelled. Emily just looked at them, taking another sip of coffee. “We’re going to Disneyland!”

Emily’s eyes widened, and she lowered her mug. Roe rushed to her friend and gave her a hug, “remember the money I asked to borrow from you? Well … this is why! For your ticket!”

A grin overtook until she realized how gross she looked - “ _fuck!_ I gotta get ready!” she screamed, running up the stairs.

“You have an hour!” Roe called after her, giggling.

* * *

Emily was going to kill Roe.

“So let me get this straight,” Tony said, having turned around in the passenger seat, “Roe leaves you alone for one day, _less than one day,_ and you end up getting with a man who's almost forty? Damn Em, _damn._ I don’t know if I’m impressed.”

“First of all, I didn’t ‘get with’ anyone, I just happened to make a friend who happens to be thirty-seven,” Emily said, being careful not to jostle around too much. Roe, having stayed up late doing homework decided to take a quick nap since the drive to Disney was an hour, and figured that Emily made the perfect pillow.

Emily’s phone dinged, using her free hand she went to check it. It was Dan, and apparently her face showed it because Tony’s smug voice came from ahead, “ooh, is it loverboy then?”

“When you were a legal adult, Roe wasn’t even a teenager yet - hush” she said, in an effort to keep him quiet for one minute.

“When this guy was a legal adult, you couldn’t  form full sentences _and_ he wasn’t even a teenager anymore when you started school” he said.

“Yeah, true, but we aren’t fucking now are we?” she shot back, “Also, I just met this guy? Please. Calm the fuck down.”

 **Dan Avidan:  
** So what are you up to today?

Emily smiled.

 **Emily McLeod:  
** Disney :) We got 2 thrillseekers  
w/ us so Im not entirely sure  
how this is gonna go down. Might  
die nbd

 

A few minutes passed before her phone dinged again, this time with a picture. Dan was in it, of course, but there seemed to be an entire entourage of people behind - evidently his colleagues.

If Emily didn’t already know how tall Dan was from personal experience on, she would have thought that the people he worked with were tiny. Only one other person seemed to match him in height - he had a trendy blond streak, and everyone else was considerably shorter. There was a kind of scrawny looking kid with short brown, popstar, sideswept hair. Standing next to him was a beautiful woman with long black hair with a streak to match the other tall one’s. Just managing to fit into the frame were two guys, one obviously younger, who had a truly amazing beard and wore a plaid shirt Leighla would kill for, the other with greying hair and intense, icy blue eyes.

In fact, grey hair looked kind of familiar, Emily couldn’t put a name to his face, but it was gnawing at the back of her mind.

Everyone in the photo had crowded around Dan or the couch he appeared to be sitting on to looked exaggeratedly sad or wistful - scrawny and grey hair excluded, they stood at the back staring dead into the camera, expressionless.

 **Dan Avidan:  
** Wish we were there.

Emily chuckled and texted her response, very obviously ignoring the suggestive eyebrows Anthony was sending her way.

* * *

Forty miles away Dan’s phone went off from within the Grump Space.

 **Emily McLeod:  
** :P

He smirked to himself before settling into the couch dent he had made.

“So who went to Disney?” Suzy asked, already moving back to her desk, “Michelle? Andrew? Or like, someone we don’t know”

“Uh, no” Dan said, “just someone I met I few days ago.”

“Oh! That kid from the music store?” Barry asked from his desk.

Dan loved his roommate, but in that moment he mentally cursed him. Because in using the word ‘kid’, the rest of the Grumps turned to look at the older member of their gang. Barry, being one of the younger Grumps (though none of them really considered themselves ‘young’) never called anyone ‘kid’, unless he genuinely viewed them as such like Kevin, which just furthered how they used language.

And how fucking intuitive they all were when it came to picking up on these hints, goddammit.

Arin, Ross, and Suzy knew this, and Brian was quick to catch on.

“Well, that's the last time I talk to you about anything” Dan joked, waving off his friends, “it’s nothing guys, I just met some kid at that music store I’m at a lot. She only has like one friend here, and gave off the impression that she’ll be in LA a lot. She seemed cool, so I figured I’d give her a second friend,” he shrugged, “no big deal”

Suzy aww’d, Ross let out a long “laaaaaame”, and Brian and Arin accepted it. Or at least he thought that the latter had unquestioningly accepted it, until hours later when the duo went in the recording room for a session. After filming a bunch of episodes for a current series, Arin announced he needed a bathroom break as the episode ended, and the two decided for a little break before they started recording some extra, one-off episodes for stockpiling purposes.

 _Ding!_ Perfect Timing.

Dan opened his text messages to see picture. He already knew what Emily looked like, and he admired her Captain America shirt and the fact that she didn’t lose her glasses on any of the rides. He imagined she must be cold as, despite the wide grin, some of Emily’s hair had clumped together - obviously wet from one of the water rides, and that she had the brain to bring along a sweater of sorts. Obviously Dan only knew Emily, so the people she was with were strangers. But pressed into her side was another Asian woman, who evidently had to be Roe - he had opened those floodgates the day they met, and she gushed about her best friend for a good fifteen minutes. One of the guys with them had to be Roe’s boyfriend, but the fact that there was two men made something twist in Danny’s stomach.

 _It's not like I like her,_ he thought to himself, _like, yes she’s beautiful but that’s just having eyes. Why should I care if she has a vacation fling? We just met anyways._

 **Emily McLeod:  
** We’re prolly gonna get ramen  
after this :) U wanna join us?  
I feel like I owe you for the  
knowledge you imparted upon  
me the other day lol

Dan scratched at his beard, while he searched the cabinets for a snack, he needed to shave soon. _Ramen sounds pretty good, and I’ve been feeling a little under the weather..._

 **Dan Avidan:  
** Sounds good. But I might not  
be able to get out of work for  
a while.

He got an immediate reply.

 **Emily McLeod:  
** No worries man! We’re in the  
same boat here, jusyifigeurwd  
Id ask before u made any  
other plans. mybe get back to u  
… 2h from now? We aren’t in a  
hurry

 **Emily McLeod:  
** *just figured, wow thats sad

Dan snorted, stuffing more cereal into his mouth. When suddenly he felt weight on either side of him, and Ross’ face directly in front of him.

“So,” the Australian smirked, “this _kid_ Barry was going on about ...”

Dan let out a sigh, “it’s nothing guys.”

“Twenty … eight? Seven? Six?” Arin guessed, “you got her number, anything else gonna come from that? Huh?”. Danny could only raise an eyebrow to the younger man’s double-raised, extra-suggestive eyebrows.

“Dan wouldn’t ask her out of she was more than a few years younger than him,” Brian interjected, “last time he tried that whats-her-name insulted _Def Leppard_ .”

“The only thing I’m _getting_ is a friend, and a ramen invitation for dinner tonight - ”

“Ooh?” the three sang.

“ _With her and her friends,_ ” Dan stressed, and hesitated. These guys were his brothers … but the only reason Barry got anything out of him was because they lived together, and by the end of the day Danny was just too tired to properly think about what he was saying.

Ross made a disbelieving noise in his throat.

“And before you try to say I’m going through a midlife crisis, _Brian,_ ” Dan said as he slithered from Brian and Arin’s grasp, “yeah, she’s young but again we’re _just friends,_ fucking - we can barely be considered that! I’ve known her less than a week -”

“Dan you never give out your number that quickly unless someone is that hot or cool enough of a person,” _damn Brian for knowing him so well,_ “we’re just curious is all.”

Dan rolled his eyes, but pulled out his phone and opened up the picture, “she’s the one taking the picture.”

Ross, Arin, and Brian crowded around the phone, before realizing that they were all blind, and passing it around would be more effective.

“I know they say Asians don’t age like we do,” Ross said, passing the device to Brian, “but _damn_ she has done so, _well_ .” The other two chimed in their agreement.

Dan cleared his throat and scuffed a foot, “yeah, uhm, that's because she hasn’t aged … not really.”

All he got back were quizzical looks.

“She’s twenty-two, guys,” he said, sticking his hands in his pockets. That caused a double-take, and scramble between the two younger men for his phone.

“Dude,” Ross said first, “dude!?”

“It’s really nothing,” Danny said, hoping a bit of his exasperation was coming through his voice.

“Dude,” Arin said as more of a statement, “so when Barry said _kid_ ...”

Dan rolled his eyes and snatched his phone back. He and Arin had a ton more episodes to film, and he was done with this conversation, so he headed back into the recording room.

Wrapped up in a blanket, and filling out timesheets, he heard Arin enter and close the door behind him.

“Look man,” he said, “sorry if we crossed any boundaries - it's just … well, I mean she’s obviously affecting you, and we just wanna know more about this girl, y’know?”

“Affecting me how?” Dan asked, settling into the couch.

“I don’t know how to explain it,” the younger man admitted, “I just know that, well, you don’t see how you react when your phone goes off, and it's her,” he shrugged, “... but the rest of us do.”

* * *

Seeing Dan try and fit all his limbs under the same table as her and her friends made Emily giggle, and she didn’t even try and hide it. The restaurant they had picked was a bit more cramped than they had thought, and the five of them were all bumping limbs trying to fit under the table. It just happened that Dan was one lanky fucker.

“So everyone, this is Dan,” Emily said, introducing him, and subtly shooting Tony a death stare, “Dan, this is everyone.”

Everyone rattled off their names to the older man as they delved into their menus.

“You know,” Emily piped up, “I’ve never actually had ramen before? At least, not like, the non-instant kind.”

Dan’s eyebrows shot up, “really? I can probably help you out a bit,” he leaned over her shoulder to go over everything on the menu with her. Not that she was paying attention at all, as the moment he entered her space, whatever Dan’s choice of cologne filled her senses. And of course, this man had the kind of light scent that was also traditional musky and whatever - this is why she didn’t work at a perfume counter.

Emily’s eyes shot up when she heard Tony clear his throat. He smirked at her with raised eyebrows and his eyes flitting between her and Dan.

“Yeah, y’know, this one sounds great,” Emily said, eager to regain her senses. _Get a grip Emily,_ she thought to herself, _you find him attractive because you have eyes, but you aren’t that desperate._

The rest of the night went well. For the first while Emily worried that she and her friends came off as immature, but then she remembered that they were still in their early twenties, and if Dan had an issue with the fact that they didn’t have a decade’s worth of “adult” experience that he did then, well, that was his problem.

Also it turns out that Lee was an avid football, something he had in common with Dan, so between the two of them, there wasn’t a risk of conversation lull. Emily enjoyed her ramen experience, and together with her best friend they made the table laugh with stories of their high school idiocy. ( _“In my defence it was dark! I’m sorry I tripped down four stairs and took you down with me!”_ ) Lee and Tony shared their experiences, from China and Spain, respectively. As the eldest amongst them, Dan mainly pitched in to highlight how things had seemed to change from when he was still in the school system.

“Speaking of school,” Lee piped up, “are you guys ready for the exam on Monday?”

Roe and Tony both choked on their noodles, Tony looking at his friend and Roe looking hers with fear behind them.

“Shit that's right,” she said, “ _fuck_ I am so sorry Em, but I can’t take you to the airport -”

“English re-qualification exam,” Tony chimed quietly.

“- Goddammit! What we gonna do?”

Emily, seeing her best friend was about to go into a panic, quickly tried to reassure her, “Roe, sweetie, don’t worry. I’ll just take a taxi or something? Maybe there’s a shuttle bus.”

“I could take you - I mean, if you’d like, if it helps?” Dan offered softly.

“You don’t have to do that,” Emily said, trying to decline, “I’ll figure it out.”

He brushed off her attempts, “the shuttle bus isn’t exactly cheap, and taxis will scam you, they always do with tourists.”

“Oh. Well, are you sure - ”

“Yes”

“- then, thank you,” She said, looking up at him with a smile.

“Yeah, and I’m sorry I can’t help Emily,” Lee tried to interject.

She nodded and waved him off, “don’t worry about it man - I get it”.

The fuss calmed and the five continued with their dinner. When they broke apart - well, when Dan went back to his own car, and the four piled into Lee’s car. Roe was feeling cold, what with the being Thai and all, so Emily gave her her jacket, feeling a little chilly herself. But it was fine, because the one-armed hug Dan had given her was keeping her warm all alone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm trying to backlog (is that the right word?) chapters ahead of time but I'm hitting a block and ready to scream. But oooh a looky into Dan's brain oooooh.


	4. Irish Music and Meet the Friends

Emily dragged her suitcase off the bus and looked down at the paper, at the directions Dan had given her. He had texted her, apologizing profusely, that he couldn’t come pick her up at Roe’s apartment, but if she could meet him at his work, they could leave from there - it's just that something had slipped up at work and he and his partner had to redo some stuff.

She came upon a what looked like a multi-office building, with stairs. And Emily really didn’t feel like dragging her suitcase up and down stairs trying to find the correct door to knock on. She hated to do it, especially since Dan had said he was busy with work - luckily, as she pulled out her phone, she saw two guys about her age, with trays of drinks walking towards the daunting building.

“Excuse me! Excuse me!” she yelled, jogging towards the two, “could you please tell me which direction this office is?”

The two stopped, and the stocky, shorter one, looked over the sheet, “well … I’d hope so, we work there. Just follow us”

She breathed a sigh of relief, “thank you _so_ much!”

“So why are you looking for our office?” the taller, lankier one asked, “oh, and I’m Matt and this is Ryan, by the way.”

“Nice to meet you, I’m Emily,” she said, walking with them “uh, if it’s your office too I assume you know him, Dan? Dan Avidan? He’s a friend and he offered to take me to the airport today, I just had to meet him at work”

Matt and Ryan looked at each other excitedly, but didn’t let Emily in on whatever was so exciting.

As the trio approached a staircase Ryan handed his tray to Matt and went to take Emily’s luggage, saying “Here, I’ll help with that.”

Emily tried to refuse, but he was already halfway down the stairs, so she hiked her backpack higher on her shoulders and followed. He grabbed the door, letting Matt through first, then holding it open for Emily and nodding when she thanked him. There were more hallways to be lead down.

“Feel free to wander in,” Matt said when they finally got to the office door, “Dan’s probably finishing up filming.”

Emily nodded and tightened the sweater tied around her waist.

“I don’t remember hiring a hooker for today!” came a voice from the clusters of desks. She recognized the tops of heads from the selfie Dan had sent, but couldn’t tell where the voice came from.

“Extra service that came with the drinks,” she called back. Heads shot up from the computers and turned to her; she recognized the lanky, light brown, boy band swept hair from Dan’s selfie as the man jumped to his feet, and came rushing over to her, the worry plain on his face.

“I am _so so_ sorry,” he said, “I barely looked, saw long dark hair, and thought you were our friend Katie who is equally as awful as us and now that I’m actually looking, yours is purple not brown. I’m so sorry, but hey, I’m Ross.”

Emily chuckled, “being called a hooker doesn’t even break into my top ten shit names, don’t worry about it man,” she shook his hand, “that being said, it is nice to put a name to a face and not just know you as boy band, side swept hair-man. So more importantly, it’s nice to meet you Ross, I’m Emily.”

Everyone in earshot snorted at Emily’s description, and it seemed that the drinks Matt and Ryan had brought back, in addition to a stranger’s presence, was enough to get everyone to their feet and mingling about. Within a few minutes, Emily was able put the real names of Barry and Suzy to the image she had seen, as well as learn of two more bearded fellows named Vernon and Brent.

“Danny’s just finishing up recording with Arin,” Suzy had told her, “they should be done in like ...” she whirled around looking for a clock, “I don’t know … ten, fifteen minutes?”

Emily gave her an okay sign. “Nice,” she said, “don’t worry about me, I’m early if anything - figured the bus would take longer than it did, y’know.”

Suzy offered her a drink or a snack from their kitchen further into the office, which Emily graciously accepted because the belief of ‘too much coffee’ was not one that to which she was subscribed. The two women sat at a long wooden table, talking about makeup and their tattoos - Suzy one giant sleeve, and the multiple littering Emily’s body - when two more men burst through the outside door each holding a box of … honestly Emily wasn’t even sure. She saw different fabrics, cheap party decorations, and … smaller boxes? Along with a bunch of miscellaneous items that to know, she would need a much closer look.

One was a fit guy who looked about her age, but the other one, Mr. Grey Mc-Icy Eyes from Dan’s picture, was the guy who’s face made her do a double take.

The two men were made aware of their guest and came over to introduce themselves. Emily quickly learned that Jack was from Northern Ireland, and she shared quick stories with him of the time she had visited Belfast years ago. The other one, Brian was his name, Emily found out would be needing the recording room Danny and Arin. That didn’t answer the question of his face though.

“I’m sorry, Brian, you said?” Emily asked, “not to be super creepy, but have you visited Victoria? Or like … interior British Columbia at all?”

The older man shook his head, “uh, not Victoria, I think I had a layover in Vancouver? I’m from the east coast.”

Emily squinted a little bit and tilted her head, “huh, guess you must have one of the faces, because I _swear_ I’ve seen you before.”

Brian shrugged. Emily exaggerated a shrug.

We got a little world of our own -

Emily’s phone went off, she apologized profusely digging in her bag to find the device. She managed to find it and went to turn it off, but not before Jack whipped around and started singing along. Everyone else stifled their laughs, or contained their faces of awe as the intern gave an impromptu show. Emily managed to dig her phone out and dismiss the alarm before it could disrupt even further. Causing a comically sad face to overcome Jack, but he snorted after she sang back the missing, final line, “ _what am I doing without you_ ,” with a wink.

“They’re an Irish boyband,” the Jack explained the puzzled group.

“And arguably the greatest boyband ever. The Backstreet Boys who?” she asked mockingly, holding back giggles, “One Direction is just the poor man’s sequel to Westlife, and I’m not biased, that's just a fact.” Jack laughed with her when she couldn’t hold back anymore.

It was then Dan and the other tall man, context clues pointed to his name being Arin, were having a hushed discussion as they excited the recording room and headed over to what the commotion was.

“Hey!” Dan exclaimed, wiggling through the crowd to give Emily a one-armed hug, “you made it in one piece.”

“Barely,” she said, “luckily I ran into Matt and Ryan or I’d be circling the building. Or crying on my knees by the curb, y’know, one of the two.”

She turned to Arin smiling, “You must be Arin,I’m Emily, Dan probably hasn’t mentioned me, but it’s nice to meet you.”

“Good to meet ya kiddo.”

Emily bristled at the nickname, but said nothing.

* * *

_“There aren’t enough WORDS to describe how much I hate tra-a-a-a-a-a-fic badum boom”_ Emily sang along to the tune of whatever CD Dan had in his car.

_“It fucking SUCKS so HA-ARD”_ Dan continued, “I thought the streets were for MOVING”

They looked at each other and laughed.

“So, y’know, Suzy kept mentioning recording? What are you guys, like some kind of … mega music group?” Emily asked. They’d been texting since they met, but only had the chance to meet up a handful of times by now - and though she didn’t say anything, or make any indication of confusion, she really had no idea what Dan did, and trying to use context clues from his office didn’t really help.

“Ehh, not exactly,” Dan responded, eyes on the road as traffic slowly rolled forward, “like I _am_ in a band - two bands, both with Brian, and Arin’s in one of them - ”

“Explains the voice.”

“- thanks, but, uhm, yeah. So our two bands are Ninja Sex Party, and Starbomb - or, mostly dick joke songs, and musical video game references. But what Suzy was talking about when she mentioned recording was the Let’s Play series we do on our like, six-way joint Youtube channel, the _Game Grumps._ ”

Emily nodded, “nice. My best friend has Let’s Play channel too - well, it’s more like … eighty-five percent videogames, fifteen percent like … literally whatever the hell she wants.”

Dan glanced back at her a bit puzzled, “ _Roe_ does Let’s Play videos?”  
  
“Nah mate,” Emily said, gazing out at the cars around them, “my other best friend, and roommate, actually. Her name is Leighla, she’s all about that video game life, her channel is call _The Les Player_ ”

“The Let’s Player?”

“No no, The Les Player, L-E-S,” she spelled for him, “as in lesbian, since she is one.”

“Ah, gotcha.”

Silence was not something Emily was comfortable with. Growing up in her family, meant having a mom who was always talking or playing music in the background, and now living with her best friend of almost a decade - sure they didn’t have a conversation constantly going around the clock, but they did almost always have some kind of tv show turned on in their shared space. In school, and with new people, silence was never a welcome thing, it put her on edge, which is also why she was always the one to do the talking for her introverted self and friends, because the quiet that would otherwise happen made her the most antsy.

And yet, despite meeting with the man thrice - one of which was the initial meeting just over a week ago, Emily didn’t feel any distress letting a peaceful lull happen between them. Something about Dan was just instantly comfortable.

A car heading in the opposite direction to them drove past, music at the probably the height of it’s ability stirred Emily from her thoughts.

… and my mates are all there trying to calm me down …

“ _‘Cause I’m shouting your name all over town - I’m swearing if I go there now, I can change your mind turn it all around ..._ ” Emily sang under her breath, and upon seeing Dan smirk at her, blushed and apologized, “sorry, I just love that band, they’re Irish, Jack would probably know about them too.”

“How do you know all these Irish bands, but not classic rock?” Dan teased.

“Because no one gave me shit for not knowing who _The Script_ was in high school,” Emily pointed out. Dan made a face, but ultimately conceded.

Eventually they reached the airport, and within seconds of pulling up outside the DEPARTURE doors, Dan was out of his seat and grabbing her suitcase. Emily awkwardly clambered out of the car - she had unconsciously been sitting on her leg and it felt like pins and needles - ready to take it from him.

“Y’know, if you want, I can go in and help you get through check-in, if you want?” Dan offered, scratching at the back of his head.

Emily shook her head, “you’ve already done more than enough Danny, thank you so much, really.”

“Alright then,” he said, smiling, “then let me know when … you’re all good to go then? Keep me updated when you can.”

“Will do.”

They smiled at each other before Emily thought _“oh fuck it”_ and wrapped her arms around his waist, going in for the full hug. She felt him stiffen for a split second before he engulfed her smaller frame with his much larger one. It was over entirely too soon for either one of them, but they both had places to be.

“And don’t be a stranger, man, stay in touch,” she said, “I fully expect regular updates on … I don’t know, random Danny bullshit.” He laughed and waved her off as she turned to enter the chaotic airport once more.

* * *

Emily sat at the end of a two person table; butt starting to hurt, wrists and hands cramping, and her background music a mix between the instrumental and white noise remix playlist she had made, and the conversation happening just outside of the office. The combination should have caused confusion, but not only was she deeply invested in the book she was reading and notes she was taking, the discussion happening outside the door was a bunch of numbers and formulas that were mostly lost on her when she was paying attention, never mind when she wasn’t.

Over the past month since Emily had returned to school, she had accumulated a stack of books about the transition from medieval life to renaissance - so far only making it to Western Europe, but she needed a more information for the time period on a global scale - and the fact that she couldn’t read any faster was pissing her off.

“Hey Em!” a man’s voice came from the direction of the door, she vaguely processed that the formula conversation had ended, “Karen’s taking a break, suggested we take one too. You down for a coffee or something?”

“The Renaissance, in the traditional, Euro-centric sense that we in Canada think of it at least, arguably didn’t happen?” she said, not looking up from the notes she was writing and cross-referencing between her book resting open on her lap, and the laptop that glowed in front of her, “like, it certainly wasn’t a global phenomenon, because other nations and cultures never had a ‘dark ages’ to begin with, and _furthermore -_ ”

She was cut off by a hand snapping in front of her face. Emily jerked out of her monologue and she glared at her blond friend, “don’t be fucking rude,” she snapped.

“Cool, anyways, none of that was an answer to the coffee question,” he said.

She mocked him in a high pitched voice, then scolded him, “well I’m sorry, _Kyle,_ but not all of us have our professors here to work as a soundboard. ”

While he didn’t say anything, Emily knew from the sheepish look on his fact that she had won that round - it probably helped that she looked more the part of stressed out university student. The t-shirt, cardigan and sweatpants combination (all borrowed _from_ Kyle) hadn’t been her first choice of wardrobe - they had just been her only option since she had spent the night on the couch in Karen’s office. What didn’t help her state is that Colin Bright, her own mentor, was currently in the States and wouldn’t be back for a few days, and the two students heavily relied on their respective professors to help them find logic and honestly, to keep them sane.

“C’mon Em,” Kyle said gently, gripping her upper arm and lifting her from her seat, “let’s get food in you.”

Emily blinked and shook her head, slowly coming out of the history trance she was in, “what time is it anyways? I’ve been ignoring clocks,” she said as she was bringing out her own phone, “holy fuck! Eleven thirty seven?!”

Kyle smirked and spun on his heel, walking out of the room, “and she’s rejoined the living!” he exclaimed, Karen’s laugh drifting in from the lab outside.

Rummaging in her backpack for her wallet, Emily pressed the notification telling her that Dan had called her, giving him a quick call back.

“You’ve reached Danny, leave me a message and I’ll get back to you ASAP - thanks!”

“Hey Dan! Apparently we’re playing phone tag, sorry I couldn’t catch you, just, uh, call me back I guess? See ya!” she said quickly, running after her friends.

* * *

Kyle ordered their drinks so Karen and Emily could take over and set up in the corner of a coffee shop down the street from the university.

“So Karen,” Emily started, “how’s Mr. Trovler and the kiddos doing?”

“Well … with mid-term report cards, and over a hundred kids, Aaron is _just_ dying,” the older woman deadpanned, causing a violent snort from the younger, “other teachers at his school have suggested using a set of stock comments, but he insists on making them all personal - ”

“You do the same thing,” Emily reminded her, “Like, yeah, you use and abuse Kyle for grading, but you read all of his notes and then add a personal comment.”

“Why are we abusing me?” the man in question asked as he scooted in next to Emily, handing her back her wallet.

“Just pointing out how you’re my grading monkey,” Karen said, enticing a whimper with a semi-pained looked from Kyle, “but I also deal with like … max sixty kids across the board, usually less.”

“Fair,” Emily said with a snapped finger gun.

“Oh! And before I forget again, the girls wanted me to thank you so much for the Disney gifts Em, Ollie and Angie love them so much” Karen said, “Ollie wanted me to tell you that she absolutely adores the characters they used to paint out her name, and Angie has been wearing the light up ears to school basically every other day.”

“I couldn’t very well go to Disney and not get something for my favourite youngsters,” she beamed.

It was then the barista came to their table with a tray full of drinks and plates of food.

“Awesome, thank you,” Emily said grinning as she passed around the the various dishes.

“Hey, I think you’re in my medieval history class?” he asked after unloading the tray, “Emily, right?”

Emily’s eyes widened in surprise, because yes she kind of recognized the man, but unlike her apparent classmate, she couldn’t put a name to the face. The surprise was entirely too evident too evident on her face, since the barista chuckled. “Don’t worry about it,” he said, “I sit in the back and don’t make a sound - but everyone in that class knows who you are.”

“Great,” she said, raising both eyebrows.

“Anyways, I gotta get back to work,” he motioned to the kitchen, “but, uh, I’m Josh, we should definitely study together or something.”

“Yeah, absolutely.” They were never going to study together. Emily could never find a way to make schedules with classmates match up.

He gave her a two finger salute and headed back to the counter, and Emily took a swig of her coffee. “Good to know I’m the class big mouth,” she grumbled.

“Nah, Leslie says that you’re the class favourite,” Kyle assured her.

“You’re also missing the most important thing about that exchange,” Karen said, receiving a confused look from Emily over her mug, “Josh-y boy over there was flirting with you.”

Emily choked over her coffee then slid her eyes past Kyle to the counter, then whipped her head around to look at the professor with wide eyes, “uhm … no?”

“Trust the married woman here, he was trying to talk you up.”

“Y’know Karen, I’m gonna go ahead and say right now that all the numbers have officially fried your brain.”

“Em, you - ”

“Oh hey Karen,” Kyle interjected, “this gala … thing coming up, do I have to wear a monkey suit?”

“Not necessarily, a suit jacket though is a must. A tie and nice pants would be appreciated,” Karen said, leaving Emily alone, Kyle made a face.

“So … a suit then,” Emily teased.

“By the way, did you wanna be my saviour and come with?” Kyle asked, “There will be  … _so many_ intimidating old people -

“Ahem” Karen coughed.

“ - and you’ve always been better with stuff like that than me - ”

“The fact that I have a grade nine level understanding of physics is in no way reason alone that I should back out?” She asked sarcastically, but sighed upon seeing her friend’s over-exaggerated puppy eyes, “fine. Fine! I’ll go you ass.”

The shrill shriek Emily let out as Kyle pounced her for a hug, and the melting blob of laughter, or Karen, caught the attention of the rest of the patrons, but like she always does in these situations, Emily couldn’t find herself to care.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Numbah 4!!! The Grumps put a real-life face to a name and we get to see Emily's life at home!! Ayoooo


	5. It's Hard to Run in a Dress & Heels

Emily was in between alarms when the beeps of an incoming message woke her out of her drowsiness. The early light of morning reminding Emily of how much she needed to invest in black-out blinds.

Forgoing finding her glasses, she blindly patted around for her phone and readying to text-scream at whoever was trying to engage her before noon. If it was Kyle she was gonna call him immediately and honour him with a verbal reaming instead of just angry texts.

**Dan Avidan:**  
Send help. I need to pick a tie. 

Alright, so not Kyle, but as much as she liked Danny doesn’t mean he’s allowed to make her think before noon.

**Emily McLeod:**  
... ur sister is a literal stylist?  
Smthg tells me she’d be much  
better at helping w/ ur tie dilemma

**Dan Avidan:**  
She keeps trying to get me to mix  
patterns or some shit, and I just  
want a fucking tie not a polka  
dot orange and lime green suit.

**Emily McLeod:**  
FUck fINE, show me ur options

**Emily McLeod:**  
& never make me visualize a combo  
that disfsuting ever again

**Emily McLeod:**  
U know i meant **disgusting don’t  
u dare Avidan it early  
   
He sent a picture of a dark suit roughly laid over a chair with a solid red tie and lighter blue paisley patterned tie on either side.  
  
**Dan Avidan:**  
Brian was invited to some science  
thing and since his wife isn’t with  
us in Portland I’m his date :O 

**Dan Avidan:**  
Also, I’m gonna be in Victoria!  
Think you can make some time for  
me?  
   
**Emily McLeod:**  
red tie if u wanna be basic.  
Paisley if you’re going for a fun  
vibe  
  
**Emily McLeod:**  
& hell yeah man!!! Just lemme know  
what u wanna see or do and I’ll be  
ur guide

Other than a line of ‘thumbs up’ emojis, Emily didn’t get anything else from the man, and flopped onto her other side, scrolling through her phone for a few hours. Dan’s visit barely registering to her sleep-addled brain.

*  * *

“Well you look _stunning_ , gonna turn all the heads at this gala-thing”

Emily side-eyed Leighla as she settled into the corner of their couch and dumped her makeup and small standing mirror.on the coffee table in front of her. Face slick with moisturizer she walked into the room in a robe, arms full of either her dress (which she quickly deposited on the unoccupied arm chair) or her small bin of makeup.

“How about you … shutthefuckup”

“Nah, I’m good.”

Emily’s mouth thinned and she shook her head mockingly, her oversized, purple bun wiggling atop her head. She shifted through her bin as her eyes darted between the various pigment pots and the TV playing ahead of them. Some dessert cooking competition playing and -

“Not the fucking ice cream machine!” Emily shrieked, watching the chefs run around on screen.

“You’ve ruined your chances dumbass!” Leighla screamed alongside her.

“He’s screwed, _he’s screwed,_ ” Emily said under her breath, brushing bronzer on, “these dumbass chefs always thinking they know how to do shit in the kitchen. They _do know_ they’re timed, right? Like? idiots! I don’t get.

Leighla just grunted in agreement.

For the next couple hours the roommates yelled at the screen on and off. Leighla occasionally got up to pour cups of tea, and Emily holding up products and asking for her best friend’s opinion.  
  
Eventually, however, the alarm on Emily’s phone went off right as she exited her bedroom in a sleeveless, knee-length navy dress with a red rose pattern, looking a slightly frazzled as she stood before her best friend who was still parked in the corner of the couch. 

“Alright colour theory queen, the red in the dress doesn’t clash with the purple hair does it?”

Leighla quickly swept her eyes over her best friend. “Your hair has various tones, highlights and whatnot in it. If it was a solid colour it would be a risk, but you’re good.” She gave Emily the okay signal.

“Good! Can _not_ be bothered to change anyways,” Emily said, reaching for the navy trench coat that had replaced her dress on the chair, and grabbing the black clutch sitting on the coffee table.

“Don’t forget your roll-up shoe things, for when you regret wearing pumps,” Leighla told her, just barely looking over her phone.

“Already got them, and, don’t remind me,” Emily groaned, “but here’s hoping the pain I’ll be feeling in a few hours will be enough to drown out the all the science talk - remind me again why I’m going to some fundraising gala for a department that not only am I not a part of, but whose subject makes me break out into hives?”

“Because Kyle asked, and he’s the friend other than me that you actually get to see on a regular basis.”

“...Touché”

“Also, you do enjoy the sciences, you like learning,” Leighla said, actually getting off the couch and helping her fix loose strands of hair. “Kyle just gets overenthusiastic and uses too much jargon which gives you a headache”

Emily’s response was finger guns and agreeing clicking noises. As Leighla turned away, Emily braced herself for the reaction of telling her roommate of the news. Dan’s visit had been buzzing in the back of her head all day, and she’d be lying if she said it didn’t worry her a bit.

Not that seeing Dan was worrying, but it’s easier to deal with a crush on the older man when she didn’t have to witness his smile in person. Or how cool he looked in a leather jacket. And when he wasn’t close enough to smell his cologne and give out his amazing hugs.

“So, uh, guess who’s coming to visit me apparently?” Leighla raised a curious eyebrow. “Dan’s coming, y’know, the Game Grumps guy.”

“Hop on his dick,” the blonde said.

“Wha? Bro, dude, no? Why would you even … what?” Emily stammered out.

Leighla sat on the arm of the chair behind her, arms crossed, and a smirk on her face

“First of all, one, he doesn’t need a place to stay does he? - ”

“I don't believe so.”

“Good. Second. Hop on. That dick.”

Just thinking about it coloured Emily’s cheeks.

Dan had kept in near-constant contact with Emily. Usually a courteous good morning text immediately followed with a link or something that made her laugh. Emily moaned about her research, and shared “fun” history facts with the older man - which usually resulted in him calling her nerd, or horrified “ _you’ve scarred me for life_ ” texts, and then six hours later texts reading “ _I’m still scarred, but the fuck was ..._ ”.

It’s one thing to claim to be physically attracted to Dan - she had eyes for fuck’s sake, she would admit to checking him out when he wasn’t looking after their first meeting. But over the past month, Emily found herself getting excited when her texts alert went off, because being around Dan even in that tiny way made her smile.

Emily even made herself admit that, yeah, it was kinda hard not to fall for the guy - not that she was ‘in love’ necessarily. But Dan was an older man, who was kind, caring, funny, respectful, and passionate; everything that Emily had realized she was into years ago. 

“Yeah … well … you know what kind of man he is, _you’re_ the one who sat me down on the couch and made me watch a bunch of his play-throughs when I got back from California,” Emily said, crossing her own arms, “now think about what kind of woman _I_ am ”

“Besides the point, now I get to see you two interact in person.” Leighla flopped back onto the couch. “Anyways, get out there and make Einstein wannabes piss themselves.”

Emily shook her head, but made promises to smuggle out some cake as she slipped into her aforementioned black heels and slipped out the door.

* * *

**Emily McLeod:**  
Boy I don’t know what to tell you  
if u think Im walking on  
cobblestones w/o ur arm to guide  
me

**Emily McLeod**  
If Im goin down crashing Im  
taking u down w/ me 

Emily texted Kyle from her seat on the bench. Just up the way she could hear the party going on, music and laughing. But she was here as Kyle’s (and technically, Karen’s) guest - added with the fact that she wasn’t too enthusiastic about being told her major was too soft by men and women who had overinflated senses of ego, Emily was more than fine waiting for her friend.

As she was waiting and scrolling through social media, Instagram popped up and her heart jumped into her throat. Because there was Danny, posing in some hotel room in a suit, hair wild as always and scruff that look better kept than it had any right to be, standing next to Brian who was also in a suit, albeit looking more comfortable than Danny did.

_danny__avidan_  
_Brian’s taking me to some Physicist thing! Activate the monkey suits!_

And _goddamn_ did he look good. It was one thing to confront her crush when their interactions were mostly text-based, but to see the object of her affections looking all cleaned up and dressed to impress did something to her.

Honestly, the whole thing was rather overwhelming, and Emily was almost glad Dan lived almost two-thousand kilometres away. But as long as she wasn’t dealing with him in person, Emily saw no harm in gazing at the man in a suit and paisley tie - it was a nice change from the ripped jeans and sweaters he usually wore.

**Emily McLeod:**  
Went w/ the paisley I see?? Good  
choice

**Dan Avidan:**  
You said red would be basic, and  
that would be off brand

Emily smiled at how easily Dan had listened to her opinion.

**Emily McLeod:**  
In case no ones told u, you clean up  
really well boo.

“I’m here, I’m here, don’t disengage my bowels, or whatever you were planning!”

Kyle came jogging up the path, dressed in his own classic black suit, the lapels of the pea-coat Emily gave him two years ago flapping in the wind.

Emily was quick to fix said lapels and his hair as soon as he stopped in front of her, and tried to regulate his slightly laboured breathing.

“Look sweetpea, I know I’m not the best with numbers or science,” Emily said as she spun her friend around, dusting him off, “but I’m ninety-nine percent sure ‘disengaging your bowels’ is not an actual thing I can do.”

“You could, if you really wanted to.”

“The amount of medical and biology knowledge I would need is too much effort to even think about, plus … can bowels be ‘disengaged’?”

Kyle shrugged, but offered his arm. “I have no idea, you’re the one who binge-watches all those medical dramas _._ ”

Emily linked them together, mostly for her own stability purposes, and started them towards the party. “Hey now, they get pretty deep into the relationships on those shows.”

Kyle just shook his head at her shenanigans and kept her from falling off the fairy lit path.

* * *

An hour in and Emily was done for the night, emotionally at least. Physically, there was still a few hours left before she could make ‘acceptable early leave’ and even then, she knew she'd be here later since Kyle was all but getting high in the science academia.

“C’mon, lighten up a little bit” Karen said. The older woman had been around catching up with other physicists, discussing theories, and helping Kyle network - which was nice. Didn't really help Emily’s outcast problem, but she was used to it at least.

“I’ll lighten up when Warren stops switching between trying to convince me that Biology is the ‘only path to take’ and ‘history is just too soft’. In what way is remembering hundreds of bloodlines ‘soft’?” she grumbled into wine number … debatably one too many for how early it was, but nothing serious.

“Stop your moaning,” Karen half-heartedly scolded, “He’s just doing it because he never advanced past third grade, and is horribly failing to show that he likes you.”

“Karen, come on,” Emily sighed exasperatedly, “between Warren and the coffee shop guy, you need to stop assuming every other man in this city is in love with me.”

“You’re right, I’m sorry” Karen said, foregoing sincerity.

“Why is Karen sorry?” Kyle asked, joining the two ladies, and offering Emily a fancy cupcake with a partially guilty look. Though them coming together was platonic - and she had told him to leave and bask in the science - he did technically abandon his date,

“She’s trying to whore me out to the entire school,” Emily said biting in the chocolate cake.

“Yeah because we all know how much of a slut you are.”

Karen sighed over her wine. Emily winked with a mouthful of cake.

“Before you kids run away, there’s someone I really want you to meet. Kyle, I know you’ll love this, and Em, he’s brought a non-science friend, so maybe you’ll stop being a lone wolf tonight.”

Emily rolled her eyes at Kyle who just chuckled as they both followed the elder woman through the throngs of people towards a small cluster of scientists.

“Kyle, there’s someone I’d like you to meet.” Karen beamed, pushing her protégé to the front of the crowd. “Kyle Mostrain, meet Brian Wecht. Brian, this is the underling I’ve been telling you about.”

Out of the corner of her eye, Emily saw her friend light up and distantly heard him start yammering away, but she knew that her own face must have lit up as she locked eyes with Danny, who stood tall in his blue suit and paisley tie next to Brian. And, if the grin on his face was any indication, who also seemed light up in his own right,.

* * *

“You could have told me that you’d be coming to an event that _my_ university was putting on” Emily said lowly, as the bussers collected their plates.

Finding each other at the gathering of scientists was a blessing to both Dan and Emily. They spent the rest of the night huddled against the wall as their friends kept circulating around the room. Between his height and hair, Dan drew in looks from women all over the hall, but their loud laughter drew the attention of a few people, and for the most part the two were wholly ignored by all the scientists. The more Emily drank the more she found herself leaning into Dan, and using his forearms or shoulders for support.

Of course, and she’d never admit it, but Dan’s very presence was intoxicating. Emily was finishing up her fourth year, it wasn’t like excessive alcohol was a novelty. Dan though, Dan was new. He was funny, made intelligent conversation - actually seemed _to care_ about what she had to say. Plus he smelled good too.

While everyone sat down Karen and her husband had excused themselves to check in with their babysitter, and Kyle was discussing some super-something with Brian to her left. The younger man had all but glued himself to physicist, but Emily knew she couldn’t give him crap for it later because she was doing the same with Danny.

Dan looked apologetic. “I knew it was a science department thing so I didn’t think you’d be here, and I couldn’t invite you since I’m the plus-one. I am sorry though.”

Emily swirled her cocktail and waved him off with a smile.

Across the room Emily watched a group of men in tuxedos confer in a corner. One started to break-away and head towards the stage.

“I’m going to go get some air,” Emily said, draining the last of her drink and getting up. Dan and Kyle gave her concerned look.

“Everything alright? Do you want me to go with you?” Kyle asked.

She waved him off. “Don’t miss the numbers and science because of me. I’m fine sweetpea, just gonna wander in the gardens for a bit.” Emily squeezed Dan’s shoulder and gave him a reassured smile when she saw that he looked worried as well.

Then she slipped between tables and out of the hall as the MC started his introductions.

The cool air hit her like a brick wall, slightly putting her off-balance and making Emily realize that maybe she _had_ had too much to drink.

Behind her, Emily heard a faint squeak of (presumably) men’s dress shoes grow louder and stop just behind her. She turned to confirm the giant with a mop of curls who had decided to join her. She raised an eyebrow at the offender who just swung an arm over her shoulders, squishing Emily’s arm in between their bodies.

“You have had arguably too much to drink tonight, I’m a little bit worried to let you just leave on your own,” Dan said 

“I’m _maaaybe_ on the far end of tipsy my dear,” she told him, her head briefly lolling towards him. “So this is unnecessary, but I do appreciate the concern.” 

“You can’t support your own head,” he smiled fondly, “but if you’d rather I left ..."

Emily grabbed Dan’s hand as it started to lift and kept it planted firmly on her shoulder and within her own hand.

“How about, no, and instead you join me in one my favourite places?”

“As long as it’s not the gutter I think we’re good.”

Emily gently smacked the back of her hand against his torso, but started to lead him down the pathways.

“The university takes care of a massive garden about five minutes away - and we are gonna go!”

They chatted about nothing all the way to the entrance, and when they got there Emily greeted a groundskeeper, stopping to introduce Dan. She moved out from under his arm, but instead slid her hand down his arm and grabbed his hand, still leading the way.

_‘You’re going to hate yourself when this haze,’_ a small voice in the back of her head said, ‘ _exactly, so enjoy the warmth of his hand while you can. While he lets you_ ’ another piped up.

She dragged him down the winding dirt paths until they reached a small pond with a bench across from it. Some of the leaves on the trees in the background were changing colour or already falling off, and it was silent - all the animals were gone, and the soundtrack to the night, instead of whatever band the university hired, was the breeze in the trees and slight splashes on the water. Emily did a little twirl, because she liked how her dress fanned out, then plopped onto the bench.

“You wanna know the real reason I didn’t want to stick around the scientists?” she asked, “I checked the itinerary and Warren Hayley was the first the speaker and the idea of listening to him was a giant NOPE for me”

“The dick who keeps shitting on on your major?”

“Yeah! And like, there are other things I’d rather do than listen to that asshole talk for more than thirty seconds. Like, I don’t know, smash my kneecaps with a rock?” Dan chuckled.

Apparently her feet decided that they needed to be up and moving, so she got back on her feet and started languidly pacing in the tiny clearing. Then Emily had a bad thought.

Okay, not bad per say, but it would give her an answer to the question she didn’t want to ask outright.

“It is a shame you decided to follow my sorry ass” She said, turning to face Dan and only slightly losing her footing, “I’m sure there were tons of single girls who would love to chat you up and hope you’d dance with them later.”

“‘Chat me up’ huh? Do people even say that anymore?” Dan teased her.

Emily stuck her tongue out at him. “Just making sure I use lingo that you know, _old man_.” Dan just shook his head and laughed at her.

“Honestly, I’d rather spend the rest of the night with you anyways.” he said half-shrugging.

Emily’s heart jumped into her throat. Or had just stopped beating altogether? She knew for sure her brain had short-circuited and all Dan did in response to the internal dilemma he didn’t know he had caused was shrug slightly.

“I spend too much time with Brian as is, and I’ve missed you.”

She leaned her back against a tree, legs starting to get wobbly.

“Maybe, maybe it’s the alcohol talking, in fact it probably is,” Emily said, ignoring how her brain was telling her to _Shut. Up._ “but I can’t help but feel like I’ve known you for so much longer than I have.”

Dan smiled in agreement, “I like you Em, you’re just a really fucking cool person.”

Emily blinked. And then she blinked again. And then she stared at Dan, the words _“I like you Em”_ echoing, and logically she knew that was meant in a platonic sense, but her fuzzy brain and logic was misconstruing it greatly, and she knew she was about to end their friendship but with Dan’s words and her drunken stupidity … Emily would later admit that she wasn’t sure what came over her.

But in that moment, she closed the gap between them with a few quick steps, looked down at the man plaguing her thoughts since they met in LA, and l leaned down to connect their lips, to give drunken Emily that one _‘this won’t be another what-if’_ moment.

Or it would have been, if Dan hadn’t turned his head in the last second, making Emily only catch the corner of his mouth.

Emily jerked back as if Dan had punched her, looking at him horrified.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered, already back away, “look, can you just give me minute to run away in shame?”

“Emily ...” Dan started. Emily couldn’t read his face but she threw a hand up.

“Dan, _please_ ” she pleaded, tears already welling up in her eyes, before turning sans answer and running back the way they came.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So ngl I'm not 100% happy w/ this, but I've been glaring at it for the past two weeks and if I didn't get it up it would've sat in my Drive for weeks until I decided to scrap the whole thing??????? So vOILA!!


	6. A New Beginning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this one's dialogue heavy, heads up.

Emily had intended to go to bed that night, honestly. But first, she was going to settle in to watch a movie and calm herself down instead of lamenting on her for-sure ruined friendships.

Her friendship with Dan was nowhere near Roe and Leighla, obviously, but there was something about him, about them, that had just clicked. And maybe she was crazy, but it felt like Dan had also decided that she was someone worth getting to know.

Then Emily let herself get intoxicated and absolutely ruin it.

But instead of taking care of herself, Emily sat in the couch corner all night, letting the tv run as static noise while she let herself drown in the consequences of her actions.

It was still dark when Leighla shuffled into the kitchen to flip on the coffee machine. She was in the middle of a yawn when she saw a shady figure in her peripheral vision and grabbed a knife left on the counter.

Emily turned to her, eyebrows raised. “Calm down it’s just me. Also, if there ever is an intruder in our house just come and get me, you couldn’t take them on yourself.”

Leighla flicked on a light as she walked towards Emily. “First of all, rude. Second of all you look like shit.”

“Well I have been up all night.”

“Since I heard you come home last night?”

“Yup.”

“You wanna tell me why?”

“ Couldn’t sleep. I fucked up and tried to kiss Dan.”

“WHAT?!” Leighla shrieked, now wide awake. She rushed back to the kitchen as the coffee sputtered to a stop.

“Do you want to tell me what happened? Or ... how?” Leighla demanded handing Emily her mug.

“Thank you,” she said quietly then shrugged, “I got drunker than I thought I was, then … I-d-k tried to kiss him? Because I’m a _fucking idiot_? Who knows!”

Emily sipped at her coffee while Leighla combed her fingers through Emily’s plum tresses. Emily’s eyes slid closed as her head dropped to her best friend’s shoulder and she groaned. “I just … I really fucked up _bad_ Leigh.”

“Question though,” Leighla said, “what do you mean ‘tried to kiss him’ because I feel like it’s a do-or-don’t thing. Either you did kiss him, or you didn’t.”

“I mean … I went to go kiss him, and he turned his head at the last minute because honestly, why would he want to kiss me anyways? I mean … he’s _Dan_ and I’m _me_ \- the fuck was I thinking?”

“First of all, you are _amazing_ , and if Dan doesn’t know that - then it’s his loss. Secondly, he’s fuckin’ almost forty years old!? He’s lived his own embarrassing shit, you’ll still have a friend at the end of this I _promise_.” she reassured her, “And if you don’t I’ll kick his six-two ass”

“You’re only like five-eight”

“JUST YOU WATCH ME.”

Emily sat up and looked at her best friend with the slightest of smirks. “Since when are you the mature one in this relationship?”

Leighla threw her free hand up into the air, “do you see! Do you see what happens when you have a crisis? I have to be the grown up - the apocalypse is near, honestly!”

That finally got a small chuckle out of Emily, who welcomed any distraction from the text messages she had been ignoring for hours at that point.

* * *

Emily stood in the elevator and readjusted the strap that went across her chest. She already wasted time in her car, mindlessly going through her phone, and again when she reapplied her lip tint so many times that her lips just felt uncomfortably wet. But that may as well be her look-du-jour, not even finding the energy after her anxiety-ridden night to even hop in the shower; she was sure the makeup she had on was a hot mess, but it couldn’t be worse than her actual face.

 **Dan Avidan:** ****  
Listen, you and I need to talk  
and we have to leave tomorrow  
afternoon can we meet up?

That’s what the text messages had read, and how dare he. How dare Dan still be a good man - a good _friend_ after Emily had embarrassed herself so thoroughly in front of him. Why couldn’t he just let her fade in the shadows, buried in her own shame and just cut her off cold turkey?

 _‘You wouldn’t have developed feelings for him if he was that kind of a selfish jackass. You like_ him _and all of his emotions.’_ her brain said, matter of factly. Emily told her brain to shut up.

 **Emily McLeod:** ****  
yeah .. i can swing by your  
hotel or pick you up and we can  
go somewhere or smthg?

Which is how she found herself knocking on a hotel door an hour later. with her heart leaping to her throat when Dan opened the door looking half as bad as she had felt all night.

Emily reverted back to her second grade self upon seeing him - which is to say her mouth gaped like fish and her brain wouldn't give her words.

“You wanna come in?” Dan said when it became obvious that Emily’s brain was offline for the moment. She nodded and scurried past him into the room. There were two beds; one loosely made up with a small suitcase mostly packed, the other looked restlessly ruffled, but barely slept in, and if the shadows under Danny’s eyes were any indication - that one was his.

“Brians, uh, out with Karen and Kyle,” Dan informed her, “he’ll be back … whenever, I guess? We have to be at the airport by two-thirty.”

“Ah,” Emily said, “should be fun.”

They stood in tense silence; Emily looking anywhere but Dan, but he stared directly at her.

“So, uhm - ”

“Look, I - ”

They stopped abruptly. Dan motioned for her to continue. Emily took a deep breath.

“Look, I just want to say I’m sorry, for what I did,” she said, “I was drunk, and that's on me, and I should have known better, but I was still stupid and you … are probably angry? With me? Or at least upset? and I deserve it. For trying to force myself on you. So, uh, yeah Dan, I just need you to know that I’m so sorry for what I did. And, uhm, if you can’t be my friend anymore - ” she choked out “- I understand that too.”

It was Dan’s turn to have his mouth hang open and look confused. His lips closed and parted a few times, and Emily could see his brain all but smoke trying to figure out how to respond.

_“Well good, because I never want to see you again.”_

_“Why would you think for a minute I’d be interested in you?”_

_“God, what a stupid little girl.”_

Dan took the few steps toward her, and then her hands in his, and sat down on his bed. She followed his lead while he looked just past her and pursed his lips.

“Last night … you were drunk,” He started, bringing his eyes back to her, “ _so_ drunk, that when we were walking to the garden-centre-place-whatever, I mean, I was carrying a decent bit of your weight, and at one point you had trouble holding your own neck up. Honestly, I’m still not sure how you managed to run away after, but I’m guessing on pure adrenaline. Em … I don’t want you beating yourself up over this, okay? I guarantee you that I’ve done much stupider things while sober - hell you’ve heard some of the stories,” he chuckled, getting a weak laugh from Emily.

“Okay.” Her voice shook.

His left thumb brushed over her knuckles and his right came up to brush away a lone tear that escaped with half her tension. The other half seeped out when he stepped up to envelope her in a hug.

“But, okay, shit ... okay,” he said pulling back. “We have to acknowledge that there’s … _something_ here.”

Emily looked up at him questioningly, and watched as it was his turn to take a deep breath.

“ _Fuck,_ okay, listen Em. You obviously, apparently, have more than just friendly feelings for me.” Emily’s cheeks flushed violently, “and like, last night that became clear. But, alright, uhm ...”

“Dan, can you just … _say_ whatever it is you're trying to say?” Emily cut through his rambling.

“I’m trying to tell you that your unrequited feelings … aren’t” Dan finally got out. “Like, Em, alright, listen, you were _very drunk_ ” he emphasised, looking directly into Emily’s eyes. “You can’t apologize for forcing yourself on me, because that was _physically_ impossible! But if I let you kiss me, _I_ definitely would have been taking advantage of _you._ Y’know, because I don’t feel like a skeevy enough dude already.”

“So ...” Emily said quietly, “what your saying is … you _like_ me? Like … and fuck this sounds so middle school - but _like like?_ Like, romantically?”

“Maybe not if you describe my feelings as “like like”, but … yeah” he smiled, earning a chuckle from Emily.

She took a moment to absorb what it was Dan had just admitted. What he, Dan Avidan, had just revealed to her - which was his feelings. Feelings he had _for her_ , that were the same as the feelings _she_ had for _him._

“Alright-y then,” she said, still in in shock, “then, uhm, can I ask, and granted I haven’t exactly said anything either, but then … why haven’t you said anything? I mean we talk almost, every day.”

“Honestly, knowing me, the fact that I made so much time for you should have been a clear indicator, but like, for one I had no idea if you had romantic feelings for me-”

“I do,” Emily blurted out, “I do, absolutely. So much so, Dan … Danny, I … shit.”

Dan lit up, which warmed her heart beyond words since it seemed to come from within and be more than just his a grin that took over his eyes.

“Y’know, the fact that I’ve manage to render you speechless, I consider a feat to be proud of” he said, lightening the mood a bit and garnering an amused smile from Emily.

“No, but c’mon Em, even then, I live something like, what? Twelve-hundred? Miles away, and that’s not even _addressing_ pretty obvious elephant in the room.”

“... the fact that you’re biologically old enough to be my father?” she supplied him.

“I mean shit Em, as if I didn’t feel like a creepy old man already ” Dan joked, “but, yeah, don’t you think that, that is something that needs to be talked about?”

“Not really - or at least I don’t really want to,” she told him honestly, “the way I see it is, I’m a consenting adult, you’re a consenting adult - and, I dunno, if anyone wants to make a rude comment I’ll deck ‘em.”

“You are _so_ small Em” Dan reminded her gently, “but you seriously haven’t given a serious thought to how you and I might work out?” Emily stood up and went to pace in front of the beds “Because I have, and there’s no scenario that ends well. I’ve run it through my head, and I just keep coming up with you-”

He paused, working out what to say next.

“- unhappy.” he finished.  “Em, _fuck_ you are amazing, and honestly, if I had my shit figured out at twenty-two like you do - my life would be so much different right now. But that doesn’t change the fact that you are, in fact, twenty-two - okay? That … that five years ago I couldn’t even think you the way I do, because even despite the age thing, it would have been _illegal._ Because … because you are in a period of time in your life where everything is shifting all the time.” he said, “I really care about you, and I’m not sure how I would handle it if we did date and you wake up one day to realize that the old guy isn’t doing it for you.”

Emily looked down at the man, frozen in place with the shock visible on her face. Dan looked pained and a little scared. They stood there for a heartbeat before she strode towards him and cupped his cheeks with both hands. He looked up at her wistfully and for all he spoke of being older than her, he never looked more like an unsure twenty-something - like her.

“I’m gonna address all that in a minute, but first … not gonna lie, I don’t have much experience with this, and I may fuck up” she said, voice breaking, “but Dan? I am sober now, so can I kiss you today?”

“Yeah.” He breathed, and before her nerves could stop her, Emily leaned down and closed her mouth over Dan’s. And Dan not rejecting her - actually being into the kiss - made the extra tension she didn’t realize she still had bleed out of her body. The term “sparks flying” suddenly stopped sounding idiotic and instead became an understatement for the explosion that shook her to her core.

 _So this is why people like this shit,_ Emily thought as her hand slipped to cradle the back of his neck, and his hands caressed their way down her body. His tongue brushed at her lips while his hands glided over her curves, stopping to squeeze the back of Emily’s thighs, prompting her to fall into Dan’s lap.

“Oof.” The jarring motion breaking them apart.

“I did not plan that,” she quipped, but made no move to get off him. Dan shrugged as his chest rumbled with laughter. “But seriously, and sorry that was distracting, but is that really what you think? Is my … ‘age-inherent’ insecurity really the biggest thing holding us back right now?”

Dan’s arms encircled her waist. “To be honest Em, yes and no? I trust your judgement and a big part of all this was just … us not knowing how we felt. But also, you’re in your early twenties,” he told her, “as someone who’s been there - done that … there are things I thought I for sure wanted, but I’m so damn glad that it didn’t work now. I don’t want to be one of those things for you.”

Emily swung a leg back and rolled off Dan’s lap to sit beside him much to his displeasure. He looked at her while she lifted her arms, and then put them down again. Dan waited patiently as Emily sat trying to work out what she wanted to say and how.

“I can’t … promise anything,” she said finally; wincing internally when she saw Dan deflate slightly in her peripheral vision. She turned to face him and took his hands in hers. “I can’t promise that we’ll last … forever, because no one can. And I can’t promise that our friendship will be salvageable in the hypothetical wreckage, because I honestly don’t know. But I can, with great certainty, say this: I have … intense feelings for you. I’m not … gonna give them a name, because this is all new to me, but, uhm, I’m willing to try if you are.”

“So what are we gonna do then?” he asked her. An exasperated exhale and shrug being her response, both of them realizing that a their confessions wouldn’t be the fix .

* * *

“And … then we talked until Brian came back and we decided, I mean, we’re gonna go forward slowly. Nothing, exclusive, or anything, but _technically_ , yeah we’re in a relationship … I guess.” Emily told Leighla and Roe.

By the time Brian showed up Emily and Dan had already come to their conclusion of a not-exclusive, yet still titled relationship; and the theoretical physicist walked in to greet Emily sitting on Dan’s bed while the younger man flitted about the hotel room gathering all of their things. The two were trading stories and laughing, which elder commented on.

_“Glad that you two fixed whatever was going on - it’s almost impossible to get Danny that distraught without a sick dog or something.”_

_“DON’T EVEN SAY THAT GEEZ!” Dan yelled from the bathroom_

Emily saw the two through the lobby and to the parking lot, even offered them a ride to the airport which was rejected as the school-ordered taxi was already waiting for them. Brian took both their bags and helped load them up so Dan could take Emily a few steps away and give them some illusion of privacy. He gave her a hug so tight and enveloping that any chipped or cracked or loose pieces from earlier melded back together; and with a kiss on the forehead and a promise to call as soon as he could, Dan climbed into the cab and Emily waved them off.

The car had barely turned a corner before Emily whipped out her phone and logged into her group chat,

**The gr8 h2o deb8**

**bean dust:** I need u both available when I  
get home in like 20mins

 **bean dust:** smthg major happened and??

 **hot. choc.:** my class was cancelled, I’ll get  
online asap.

 **wet leaves:** me too, everything alright? I’ll  
have coffee ready when u get home

And by the time Emily got home, making a pit stop at her favourite bakery, Leighla already had a mug of coffee ready for her, some tea for herself, and Roe’s face at the ready on her laptop.

“You’re a fucking idiot,” Leighla told her point blank once Emily stopped talking. “Like - one of the smartest, most logical people I know - actually that’s a lie, but still - I’ve never heard anything so stupid.”

“Yeah, doesn’t you school teach critical thinking or whatever?!” Roe asked through the screen.

“Huh?” Emily looked bewildered between the two of them. “I think … I did well? Considering … ”

“Em you’re going to try and do the slow, casual thing, in a type of relationship that is inherently fast and serious - long distance.” Leighla said.

“She’s right,” Roe said, sounding wise in her experience, “You only see him a few times a year, so the relationship evolves insanely fast within those times.”

“Plus it's you, and I’m pretty sure you’ll … _emote_ or whatever “casually” when you are dead.” Leighla chimed in.

Emily blew a raspberry but settled deeper into the couch. “Y’all couldn’t let me ride this high eh? You don’t think my brain didn’t run with all the possibilities? Assholes. Dan could call me tomorrow and tell me he’s changed his mind, but hey, he could also _not_ and this could work out.”

“Ok … fair,” Roe conceded, “But Em, you do realize that when we became friends, you got super attached to me almost immediately because I gave you some basic Thai jewelery - “

“They were blue, and you didn’t have to, and it was nice!” Emily protested.

“ - yes and I got them at the street market I took you to when you came home with me, so you know it wasn’t a big deal. It’s just funny that you think you can have a casual romance when you can barely do friendship casually.”

From her adjacent chair, Leighla shook her head slightly in amusement. “ and … look, obviously, you’re both adults, and you’ve evidently put some thought into this, so as your best friends, obviously, y’know, we support you - this. It’s just that of course, _of course_ your first relationship it’s long distance. Like, no! You couldn’t ease your way into it with a normal, local, boyfriend, nah you gotta go for the one like fifty million kilometres away - ”

“ - just under two thousand, actually.”

“FIFTY _MILLION_ KILOMETRES” she emphasized with a giggle, “it’s just … I don’t know, you’re ridiculous.”

Emily rolled her eyes and was about to comment, when her phone interrupted their circle. Digging it out of her pocket she saw that it was Dan and rolled onto the floor, going onto the balcony outside, leaving Leighla to shimmy in her chair to the ringtone.

She and Roe were singing along when she slid the door closed behind her.

“what did you teleport back?” Emily teased, “no way you're already back in California”

Dan laughed, “nah they're just about to start boarding everyone onto the plane now. I just double checked our flight schedule and between the actual flight, layovers, and what I gotta get done when we land, I realized I probably wouldn't have time to call you tonight.”

“Boo,” she said, “don't work yourself too hard sweetpea”

“I make no promises,” she could hear the smile in his voice.

Silence lulled for a moment before Emily piped up, “so how badly did Bri grill you?”

“Didn’t even have my seatbelt on” he chuckled, “and because he’s worse than a fifteen year old I've already gotten texts from the guys back home”

“Oh geez, I _do not_ envy you.”

“Yeah, well, what about you?”

Emily sighed and looked back inside to Leighla laughing at whatever Roe had said.

“I did it to myself, but they were waiting for me when I got home.”

“But everything worked out?”

“Yeah,” she grinned, “everything’s good on my end.”

In the background Emily heard a muffled announcement, and the background noise of the other travelers got louder.

“I guess I should let you go then,” she resigned, taking some comfort in hearing Dan’s disappointed sigh.

“I’ll text you when we land and talk to you tomorrow,” he said.

“Alright, fly safe hun.”

“Will do, bye!”

“Bye.”

Emily walked back inside and jumped back onto the couch as Leighla told the ending of one of her horrid retail stories, and endured the teasing a few hours later when Dan’s text came in and she couldn’t contain the grin.

And if they had no idea that, that grin was nothing compared to the one she had the next morning when she woke up to a late night ‘good night/morning’ text from her new beau, she could live with that.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ngl I was 100% okay w/ leaving this one on the back burner for a little while, but someone named 24oceans unintentionally lit a fire under my ass so here it is, get it away from me before I scream.
> 
> Heads up tho, my semester is coming to a close and exams will kill me so if nothing is up till past mid-april, thats why.


	7. Just a Girl and her ... Man-friend?

When Dan walked into the office the next Monday he was … pleasantly surprised by how no one was crowding him from the get-go. Around noon he was slightly suspicious when no one had blatantly tried to gossip about his weekend, but by the time Suzy suggested the group go out for sushi for dinner he was completely at ease.

And he should have known better - really he should have. Because there was no way it was a coincidence that _everyone_ was at the office that day, that never happened. So as he was shoving a California roll into his mouth, Suzy spoke up about the question he had spent the day waiting for:

“So Danny … you and Emily have something going on, huh?”

Dan nodded while hurriedly swallowing, trying to remember that everyone here was his friend - and just because they were all intensely staring at him - not unlike a zoo exhibit - that didn’t change anything.

“Yeah, yeah we decided that we’re gonna try this thing out.”

“But she lives in Canada,” Ross said.

“Yup.”

“And she’s like … my age, right?” Ryan asked.

“Yup, born in ‘94”

“And you, Mr. ‘Makes Connections in an Instant’ are gonna try and go slow?” Jack piped up from further down.

“Yeah, and aren’t long-distance relationships inherently more intense?” Barry said.

Holly, Ross, Arin, and Suzy all nodded sympathetically.

“And I hate to push stereotypes, but I know that I, at least, was more emotional in my early twenties.” Holly added, “do you really think she can handle it?”

Dan bristled at the assumptions of Emily but used his near-four decades of life experience to not show it, reminding himself that literally _no one else_ in the group knew Emily like he did. Only Jack was following her on twitter, but apparently, despite Emily’s Scottish heritage, they mostly sent Irish-isms back and forth.

“Listen, guys, I get the concern, but we had a long talk about it in Victoria, we’ve discussed it a bit more since - this _is_ a good thing,” he felt his cheeks flush, “and I really her, okay? She’s smart and funny, _and_ cute”

Brian, who had been hoarding the food while everyone questioned Dan, finally came to his best friend’s rescue. “In Danny’s defence, I did spend a day with her best friend and aunt, basically, and they both did nothing but sing her praises when she came up. And honestly, as the _oldest person here_ , she’s fine. You all make it sound it like we’re bordering on retirement and she just graduated the seventh grade. She’s a full-grown adult just like Jack and Ryan.”

He nodded at Dan when everyone’s heads swivelled back to Dan, acknowledging the thankful looks the younger man had been sending him during his little speech. Few of the Grumps would admit how Brian’s opinion on life, family, and relationships held a bit more weight as the eldest.

Not everyone was convinced though. Ross and Holly weren’t as visibly opposed, and Barry and Arin’s faces had softened from disapproval to just apprehension - but the doubt was still there. Which made Dan’s stomach turn a little. He knew Arin didn’t have anything against Emily personally, but for the man Dan considered his brother to not like his … lover? Ish-girlfriend? It didn’t sit right with him.

The four of them were the minority though. Brian and Jack already expressed their approval, Suzy was inherently trusting and liked Emily from their initial meeting, and the other three certainly didn’t have anything against her.

Dinner continued without hitch, they shared their upcoming plans around the table, suggestions for Grump bits came up - Ross and Barry got into yet another heated debate over Pokemon.

As everyone started to clear out Suzy managed to catch Dan alone. “I’ll talk with Arin,” she said, “get him on your side.” And Danny wasn’t instantly glad that Arin and Suzy came as a package deal, because if the former was his brother, then the latter inherently filled another sister role.

“Thanks, Suzy,” Dan said, pulling her into a side hug.

“She’ll be good for you,” Suzy told him, “from what you’ve been saying, she’s so different from the girls you normally date, the change could be a good thing.”

“Well I mean, we aren’t really putting labels on it … ” he trailed off at the knowing glint in her eye; knowing that she’d hold strong to her position no matter what he said. “Ah, whatever I’ll see you guys later.”

Dan still had a smile on his face when he arrived home a short while later and stretched out on the couch, opening his laptop from the coffee table he left it on. Barry went back to the office - something about feeling crazy productive - so Dan didn’t feel the need to take his computer and run off to his room while the Skype bleeped to life, and within a couple minutes had a little pop-up with Emily’s name.

**EM:** **  
** good time?

Dan typed back a quick ‘all good’ and in seconds he was accepting a video call.

“Oh … my fucking god you will not believe the shit that happened today!” she said in lieu of a hello. Dan couldn’t help the smile on his face at her excitement and just settled further into the couch.

* * *

“My brain is … officially fried, can we take a break?” Josh asked, pushing his notebook away from him.

The other three around the table nodded in agreement, looking up at Emily, standing in front of the whiteboard, who snorted.

“I’m not your mom, if you want a break just take one.”

Her four ‘pupils’ filed out of the study room and she collapsed into a chair. She snapped a selfie and sent it out to Leighla, Roe and Dan with the caption _‘study group!’_ , a few minutes later receiving back pictures of a hand flipping off an editing screen from Leighla, a selfie in return of Roe and Anthony, and a selfie from Dan with his rock fingers and tongue out. Emily was still giggling to herself when Josh walked back into the room.

About a week after the gala and Emily had gone through twenty-four hours of emotional hell, Josh had managed to stop her in the hallway after class. Telling her that he was a part of a study group and that she should join it - if she wanted, of course. And although Emily tried to reject the offer multiple times, Josh was insistent, even mentioning that there was another group project coming up, nevermind that Emily had special permission to not have to work in a group.

Josh wore her down eventually, granted Emily also just took pity on the man and joined him and three other students in the library … when it became glaringly obvious that good intentions aside, as a _study group_ the existing quartet was floundering, she stuck around. And luckily for them, she didn’t have to worry about a job, so within the month she caught everyone up.

If she was a little too hardcore for them sometimes, that was something they quickly learned to deal with.

“Funny baby videos?” Josh asked when Emily put her phone back down.

“Nah,” she said, not looking up from her notes and the textbook, “just my friends are funnier than I like to admit.”

She heard him chuckle from the other end of the table but still didn’t bother looking up. Despite meeting twice a week for the past month Emily still wasn’t friends with these people. Sure they all got along well enough, but she knew how the other three (sans Josh) looked at and thought of her. ‘The Weirdo’ who was too invested in the course and thought she was too good to form relationships with her classmates. She didn’t hold it against them, but it certainly affected their interactions.

“So,” Josh spoke up again, this time he was standing right above her, “there’s this party happening tonight that we’re all going to, you should come!” he told her, “and maybe beforehand you and I could grab dinner or something, just the two of us.”

Emily angled her body away from him and looked up, confused, “... are you asking me out?”

Only his ears flushed, “uh, I mean, yeah I am.”

Her mouth opened and closed a couple times, her face show no emotion, and she saw him fidget out of the corner of her eye.

“Oh, uhm … uh, I’m actually kind of seeing someone right now,” she told him.

“‘Kind of seeing’? Is it serious?” he asked.

_Where are the others?_ “Yeah it is,” she lied. Honestly, despite a month of them ‘dating’, Dan and Emily still hadn’t officially gotten together - didn’t put the girlfriend/boyfriend label on what they had. But Josh was pushing the border between inquisitive and rude, and she didn’t feel like talking in circles for ten minutes in explanation.

Josh backed off slightly, “well you should still come to the party anyways, I’ll text you the number -”

“Actually, I already have plans,” Emily interrupted, “with the roommate. So, raincheck, okay?”

Josh was visibly taken aback by how snippy Emily’s tone was but took the hint and the two sat in awkward silence until the other three came back.

* * *

Emily shuffled into the office holding two wine glasses. She curled up in the corner of the futon and placed one on the desk in front of Leighla who was still working away on her newest video. Leighla paused to pick up the glass and take a sniff.

“I picked up your root beer cooler on my way home from school,” Emily told her, lifting up her own glass, “and some rosé for me.”

“You know, I legit thought you would never touch another drink after the Dan fiasco,” Leighla said, taking a sip.

Emily laughed humorlessly, “I’m pursuing a PhD, Leigh. people are surprised when they find out we don’t have a separate fridge specifically for booze.” Leighla shot her a knowing look, “and yeah, maybe at some point during that sleepless night I thought about it. But I like wine too much, and you know my cousins are still revelling in being able to buy me a drink.” Leighla cocked an accepting eyebrow over her glass.

She asked Leighla how the new video was coming along, and listened, albeit somewhat lost, as her friend explained all the nuances of the game she was playing, and bitched about glitches in her editing software, taking a mental note of the program Leighla really wanted.

A lull in the conversation allowed Emily to blurt out her second motive for interrupting her roommate.

“Do you think I should call Dan and see if wants to make this … thing ... official?”

“Yes,” Leighla said plainly, looking slightly confused, “I’ve thought that since you started dating, but what brought this on?”

“Josh asked me out,” Emily said, “today when we were all studying together. The others were out of the room. It was weird.”

“Shocking,” Leighla deadpanned, “who would have ever thought that the man who made himself known to you asap and tracked you down to join his group could possibly have feelings for you.”

Emily held up a hand, “alright, well, it wasn’t so obvious, to me, at least.” she took another sip, free hand gesturing about, “what I don’t get is how I go twenty-odd years without a man showing interest in me - but the minute, _the_ _minute_ I’m kind of in a relationship with someone, boys come … I don’t know, snapping out of the shadows. Menacingly.”

“Yeah, alright, I’m pretty sure when you turn down other guys for someone, you’re no longer ‘casual’, just saying,” Leighla told her with a  knowing look, “so, I appreciate the alcohol, now get your ass out of here and go call your man.”

She was answered with a middle finger, but Emily still left to pace in her own room.

_‘If I ask him, and he shoots me down, that’s this relationship … thing shot dead’._ Emily thought as she walked the length of her bedroom, sat on her bed, and leapt to her feet again. _‘BUT if I ask him about it, and he does say we should make it ‘official’ I can just say he’s my boyfriend and shut down Josh again if need be and any other shadow-snapping boys.’_

Emily paused, and curled up in her oversized reading chair, a grin taking over her face. _‘If I ask him and he agrees with me … I’ll have a boyfriend’._

Her phone beeped in her lap.

****  
**Leighla O:** ****  
I hear u pacing. Don’t make me get up and  
call ur bf for u

  
Emily settled deeper into her chair and tried to shake the jitters out, thumbs hovering over her phone. She took a deep breath almost looked away as she dialled his number from memory.

The ringing seemed to go on forever. And it echoed like there was no one on the other end, or maybe that was just in her head.

“Emily Devi McLeod you will calm the fuck down, you’ve texted Dan like seven paragraphs about Erik the Red, he’s used to your shit,” she muttered to herself under her breath.

“Hey you,” Dan said when he picked up, making Emily jump a little in her seat, “I was just about to call you.”

“Oh shiiit, am I in trouble?” she joked.

“Uh, duh!” Dan said, playing up his valley girl voice, making both of them laugh, “so what’s up? Everything okay?”

“Uhm, you first - any reason why I beat you the punch?” Emily said.

“I just needed a break from album stuff, wanted to talk to you.”

“Wow, almost like you like me or something? I’m shocked” she quipped, getting a chuckle out of him, “but uh, kind of? In the same vein as that maybe, the 'you liking me' bit, uh, I actually wanted to talk to you about something - I mean, it’s not that important, and you can tell me to fuck off, but - ”

“Em, sweetheart,” she could hear the smile in his voice, “you’re rambling”

“We’ve been … fuck, I don’t know, quote-unquote dating for like … a month now - but I don’t call you my boyfriend. And I want to,” she blurted, “are we on a similar page? Or did I just fuck us over?”

Dan exhaled, “no … no, I’m there with you,” Emily’s heart skipped a beat, “I don’t know why we ever thought non-exclusivity was gonna do it for us - especially since, looking back on it, I spend every free minute talking to you, an open-relationship would be damn near impossible - what were we thinking?”

Emily giggled, “so does that mean I can call you my boyfriend now?”

“Fuck!” Dan groaned, “I’m pretty sure I’m too old to be a boy-anything.”

“Okay, you’re thirty-seven calm down there,” she told him, “I mean if it makes you feel better I can call you my stud ... nugget ... honey lover.”

“Wow, somehow I’m not one-hundred percent down with that.”

“Hmm, what if I add ‘snookums’ on the end there?”

“That would be fucking perfect.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Boom! I wanted this one up earlier but then school happened and I was too busy crying on the floor to do anything productive!
> 
> Also, this one's a bit shorter than previous chapters, next one probably will be too, but hopefully y'all enjoy nonetheless! :)


	8. Revelations and Sneaky Surprises.

Emily had intended to make it down to California before winter break. School ended early enough that she wanted to see Dan before she went to Scotland for Christmas. Not that that wasn’t going to happen; not with her essays taking over and his NSP and Game Grumps responsibilities effectively cutting away any time they would have had to spend together even if she had gone down to see him. 

Which is why she sat wrapped in a blanket, glasses sliding down her nose with her bedhead quickly pulled back, in the corner of her grandparents’ living room couch at almost six in the morning.

“Before I forget, my parents say thank you for sending the Hanukkah card.” Dan said from his bed in New Jersey, “Avi was especially impressed by the fact that you can write Hebrew? I didn’t know that.”

“I double checked with a comparative religions prof at my school,” she said quietly, “but uh, yeah, picked up the tiniest of Hebrew when I was studying Jerusalem a while back. Honestly, I’m surprised your dad didn’t burst out laughing because I’m pretty sure the dialect I know is about a thousand of years out of date.” 

Dan chuckled softly, “Nah you’re fine,” a yawn breaking through, “you’re so impressive, you know that? didn’t you once tell me you know like four languages or something?”

“Six, technically, but I don’t count the one I was born with.” she corrected.

“How even … what the fuck are you?”

Emily giggled, “one day I’ll sit you down and explain just how amazing I am,” she teased, “but for right now I think you need to go to sleep.”

“Me, what about you! It’s like six am for you and we’ve been talking for three hours,” he said, as his eyelids kept trying to close.

“Yeah, and I hate to break it to ya, but my younger body can deal with the stress of travelling better than yours,” she chided gently, “but I never get much sleep on these trips anyways.”

“You calling me old?” Dan joked.

“Maybe I am!” Emily shot back, laughing, “but seriously, go to bed babe.”

Dan hesitated for a second, or maybe it was the screen lagging, but he just stared at her with a small smile on his face. “... yeah, yeah I’ll go crash, fuck, it’s one a-m? Yeah, I probably should, I promised the boys I’d take them to lunch tomorrow.”

Emily blew him an over-exaggerated kiss, “I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

She clicked off the call, knowing Dan would immediately fall asleep and forget, and took a moment to revel in feelings Dan always left her feeling. Mostly happy. They had yet to have an unfulfilling video call, and he listened to her and was genuinely interested in what she had to say and what she liked. Not that Emily ever believed it, but Leighla had always pointed out when other guys liked her or were flirting with her. But not one of them left her feeling like Dan did.

“Y’know, you could’ve just said ‘I love you,’ it’s a pretty standard send-off,” came a morning-rough voice from the doorway. Emily turned to see her cousin in the doorway holding two cups of coffee. “Also, I’m pretty sure that explanation will be quick - years of finishing school-esque summer camps”. He brought them both to her, putting the mugs on the coffee table in front of her before moving to open up the drapes and let the light in.

Emily hissed as the beginnings of the sunrise flooded the room, “that’s gross.”

He shrugged, curling up in the opposite corner to his cousin, “you’re the one who decided to be up at three am.”

She mocked him with a funny face. “Alright, Bobert, how much did you hear?”

“I swear I’m gonna go back in time just to stop myself from giving you the okay to call me that when you were young,” Robert groaned, running a hand through his own dark bedhead, “but to answer your question, just enough to know that my baby cousin is absolutely gone for her boyfriend.”

“Nicholas is the baby, not me,” Emily murmured over her cup of coffee, denying nothing.

“Nicholas is actually young enough to my son,” Robert countered, “you’ll always be the baby who gave me babysitting experience, you, Hannah, and Jen.”

She snorted, “Yeah, because we all grew up hurting for pocket money.” Robert made a ‘you’re not wrong’ face, but from behind his mug on the raised eyebrows.

“Speaking of which, have you told him yet? This Danny Avidan?”

“I’m gonna just skip over how you know his name - ”

“ - Background check - ”

“ -  _ and instead _ ,” Emily stressed, “just … no, I haven’t told him that our grandparents, and parents, head - ”

“- the world - ”

“- a rather … large, global company.”

Robert blew a raspberry and waved her off, “Nah, we looked into him, I have minimal concerns.”

Emily furrowed her eyebrows, “but there are concerns?”

“The guy’s older than me, cous.” Robert told her plainly, “like it's only a year, but it's not nothing compared to you. But other than that? Nah, we don’t have an issue with him”

“so it was the family collectively deciding to look into Dan?”

“when my little brother had to call off his engagement to a gold-digging whore six months ago? yes, you’d better bet your ass we did.”

“but other than his age did you find anything?” Emily demanded, “apparently my own judge of character isn't good enough to trust, so did you find anything?”

Robert held her stare, “first, you’re going to calm down,” he told her, shooting an unimpressed look “and two, no, no we didn't. And you can’t really get upset with us for looking out for you, not when your boyfriend shares most of his personal life through that Game Grumps thing. A good chunk of us looking into him was just listening to those playlists.”

Emily ceded, leaning back against the couch arm, cradling her coffee in her lap, “he’s a good guy. He’s smart and funny, and caring. He listens to me and respects me,” she said certainly, looking Robert in the eye. 

He kicked a foot out and knocked it against her shin, “good, I’d kick his ass if he didn’t,” he said simply.

The two cousins shared a peaceful silent few minutes. The house would be bustling with people soon enough. Aunt Lorraine and Uncle Ken would get to work cooking enough breakfast to feed their family of twenty, the older cousins would meander down and mingle until the younger ones shuffled down bleary-eyed to collapse on the couch Emily and Robert currently inhabited. They’d discuss plans and make arrangements, file into however many cars. And there wouldn’t be a lull in the excitement of being all together again until well after dinner.

“So are you going to explain why you haven’t told the guy that you’re madly in love with him yet?” Robert asked suddenly, making Emily choke on her coffee as he calmly sipped at his own.

She choked on her coffee and flipped off chuckling cousin.

* * *

The Avidan-Cohn-Schwartz clan had convened at the local Chinese restaurant, the same on they had been going to for years around the holiday season. The place was packed with other Jewish families who reserved seats, and Avi had been stopped more than once. The rest of the family went ahead to the food, leaving Danny to take his two young nephews to the table as they grew fussy.

“And - and - and Spider-man shoots webs to stick to buildings so he can save people!” Nash said as he crawled over Dan. The younger of the nephews had been talking for awhile now about whichever superhero was his favourite of the week. Carter sat next to Dan, leaning into his uncle’s side, messing around on said uncle’s phone while the rest of the family was getting their food from the buffet.

“So Spider-man must be a really cool guy then,” Grandma Ruth said from across the table, trying, and failing, to hide her laughter as Nash jammed his foot into Dan’s thigh to get up. The little guy wiggled down and abandoned his uncle for Grandma, talking up a storm about the web-slinger. 

Dana and Dan’s parents came back, arms full of plates for everyone. “You know what, just be glad he’s done with the Green Lantern,” she said, taking a seat, “I spent so many days taking him out in full costume - even with the snow he still wanted to wear that flimsy suit.”

The adults laughed at the image of Dana debating with her son about the benefits of wearing a jacket in New York.

“Uncle Danny?” Carter interrupted quietly, “who’s this girl?” the little guy had gotten out of whatever game he was playing and saw the home screen Dan had changed just the night before. Emily had sent him a selfie with her entire, massive, family with the caption ‘Merry Christmas from us and a Hanukkah Sameach to you!!’ it was more casual than the staged photo his parents had received in the mail days ago, though Emily was no less beautiful but visibly more genuine. In his drowsy state, he cropped it to fit his phone and couldn’t bring himself to change it.

“That’s my special friend,” Dan said, ruffling Carter’s hair.

“Yeah, he calls her his girlfriend,” Dana told her eldest, “and he loved her like Mommy loves Daddy.”

Danny blanched, Dana laughed and playfully shoved her big brother, taking the phone from her son and replacing it with food.

“I mean, you’re not wrong but we haven’t said it,” he told.

Dana waved a hand in his face, leaning over his shoulder, “she’s cute,” she said simply, popping a piece of broccoli into her mouth.

“She’s absolutely breathtaking,” Dan corrected before he could stop himself, “she used to do this dumb thing where she wouldn’t take off her makeup despite the fact that we’d talk at one am.”

“Really?” Dan the in-law asked.

“Yeah, then I reminded her that I’m almost forty, and the idea of a woman without mascara isn’t a scary new concept for me.”

The table erupted into laughter with, not at, the imagining of Emily’s realisation. They had all heard of her prior to Dan coming home for the holidays. His parents, when Debbie suggested setting him up with the daughter of a new friend and he had to break the news that he was seeing someone. Dana and her husband had found out when he off-handedly mentioned in one of their bi-weekly-ish phone calls. Grandma Ruth was the only one Dan excitedly called and kept updated as the relationship progressed.

And despite the ribbing, Dan was happy to have his family warm on even the mere idea of Emily.

* * *

_ “Are you sure there’s no possible way for you to come down for Valentine’s day?” Dan asked, back in LA, swivelling in his desk chair, “I’d offer to go up there, but I just … can’t, y’know? With filming and rehearsals for the upcoming tour...” _

_ “No, babe, I get it,” Emily said, holding up a hand, “but yeah, no I don’t think it’s happening hun. I’ve got midterms happening and - I mean, I could, but it’d be cutting it real close and - ” _

_ “No, no,” he interjected, “school is important I get it too, don’t worry.” _

_ They both sighed and sat in mutual dejection. _

_ “Y’know what though,” She said, “a special someone’s birthday is about a month after heart-day, and I can guarantee that I can make it to that.” _

_ Danny grinned, “my thirty-eighth then, it’s a date.” _

And despite the five-month interval, Emily still fucking hated the LAX airport. It was still noisy and crowded, and other passengers truly did not care if you lived or died, so long as they could get where they wanted to go. And sure there were a few cute couple reunions happening, but they weren’t of her and Dan, so she didn’t care.

She fought through the people and all but ran to get out of the gates. She searched frantically for the familiar head of hair and let out a sigh of relief upon seeing her.

“Oh my god get me out of here,” Emily said, wrapping her arms around Suzy, “I don’t think there are enough words to describe how much I fucking hate this place”.

The older woman just laughed, “Yeah I’ve definitely been there, airports are  _ not _ fun.” Suzy took Emily’s carry-on and helped her push through the crowds. The whole thing was very reminiscent of when Roe came to get her all those months ago.

“Thanks again for coming all the way out to come get,” Emily said as they slid into the car, “really I could have taken a taxi or something, you didn’t really have to.”

Suzy waved her off, “if you’re going to be stuck in traffic for two hours, you may as well be stuck with someone you know. Besides, Dan and Jack have been hogging you, and it’s not fair! I want more girls around.” Emily felt a rush of affection for the older woman.

Hours later Emily was shimmying around the strange new apartment to her boyfriend playing over portable speakers she had found. She had changed out of the maroon sweater and jeans she flew in, and into a dark blue crop top, with a mid-calf, white lace skirt. She had redone her bun to look more put together, and let a few tendrils frame her face

The Plan to surprise Dan should go off without a hitch, especially since Danny wasn’t expecting her for another month and Barry was out of state for some reason or another. Emily’s professor had sent out an e-mail the day after their discussion saying she chose to have the midterm a take-home exam freeing up a few extra days that made an impromptu Valentine’s trip possible. Jack had been useless in her quest, as he had to go back to Ireland for Visa issues, but not before handing her off to Suzy who went above and beyond helping Emily out.

Heading back into the kitchen, Emily counted over her pots and platters, moved on to fluff up the flowers in the middle of the two plates waiting, and drank more coffee as she twirled and looked over everything.

**Suzy BH:** ****  
Heads up!! Dan just left the office, should   
be home in fifteen!

**Emily McLeod:** **  
** awesome thanks!

**Suzy BH:** **  
** Be safe!! ;)

**Emily McLeod:** **  
** S U Z Y  pls

Emily gulped down what was left in her cup and immediately replaced it with the full pot still left. The state of her virginity was not a secret - something she had no problem mentioning to a group of strangers to make a point or just shut them up during a pointless debate. That didn’t stop her from carefully picking out her cutest underwear and bra set - and it most definitely didn’t stop her from being slightly nervous about being here with him.

Because even though Dan was a genuinely decent guy - he  _ had _ made it clear to the world that he was a sexual person, and his age made it known that, on top of that, he was an  _ experienced _ , sexual person. Sex made her excited but wary. She expected that he wanted it, hoped, at least, that he was in fact sexually attracted to her. On top of that, along with the probable expectation, they had been dating for three months basically over the phone - the physical want was there. Her skill, not so much.

Not that it mattered; if the coffee didn’t kick in soon Emily was going to end up face down in her rice.

She danced sang along to the music under her breath as she fluffed up the flowers she got and set the table

The song changed and Emily heard a car pull into the driveway. In a flash, Emily turned the music down to a low murmur and chugged what was left in the coffee pot. The door creaked open as she threw mints in her mouth, and she heard Dan cautiously walk towards the source of confusion. She had a momentary crisis over what to do with her arms and settled on letting them dangle by her sides like limp noodles. 

Remembering the bat she saw hung up in the closet when she put away her sweater, Emily called out: “y’know, I don't think you'll have much luck if you're planning to subdue me with a wooden stick.”

Dan strode around the corner, hands empty and mouthing a silent  _ ‘whaaat?’ _

She couldn’t even get out a cutesy ‘surprise!’ before Dan’s long legs took him across the room in a few strides; he slid a hand around the back of her head and dropped his head down to press his lips to hers. One of his hands slid from the front of her exposed midriff to her back and held her close to him. Emily raised her hand to grip onto his t-shirt and welcomed the intrusion as Dan’s tongue made its way to her. She let him lead but eventually pulled away and couldn’t help but giggle at the red lipstick smeared around his mouth.

“Well, hello to you too,” she said, giving Dan one more peck before grabbing a napkin to wipe off the colour.

“what the fuck are you doing here? Did you lie to me? You  _ lied  _ to me! ” he said, imitating the infamous elementary teacher.

“It was a sudden change in schedule,” Emily told him, leading him to the set table, “one of my profs decided to be cool and gave us the exam to take home and email in when ready.”

“Remind me to send her like a bazillion dollars and a thank you card,” Dan said tucking in, “and you just decided impromptu to show up and cook me food?”

Emily tapped her toe on top of Dan’s shoe, “honestly, I wanted to show up  _ before _ Christmas and make you food, but I think I was out of the library for a maximum of ... four? Five? Hours?”

“Ah yes,” Dan deadpanned, “hell.” 

Emily snorted and almost choked on her food.

They made it through almost the entire meal until the caffeine started wearing off, with Emily managing to minimise or hide her yawns throughout the conversation and food, and it took until her head started to lol for Dan to finally notice.

“Hey now, let’s not go drowning in whatever broth you put these vegetables in,” Dan teased, “you all good there?”

Emily blinked a few times, trying and failing to focus on the situation at hand.

“Uh, uh yeah”  _ yawn.  _ “Just a wee bit sleepy.”

“Wait,” Dan said, “weren’t you telling me earlier today about the fact that you pulled an all-nighter but couldn’t nap because you were doing something - I’m guessing flying was the thing.”

Emily gave him a tired shrug, “it is was it is, babe.”

Dan shook his head affectionately, stifling a yawn of his own.

“It’s not even nine, but we should probably go to bed,” he said standing up,“Assuming … you didn’t come here with just the clothes on your back, your bag would be where, exactly?”

“At Roe’s,” Dan shot her an affectionate though mildly exasperated look, “I didn’t want to assume you’d be cool with me being here!” she defended, following him down the hall, and waiting in the doorframe as Dan rummaged through what was probably Barry’s room, “for all I know you have a horde of women hiding in every available space and they’re currently stuffed in corners and cupboards  - carefully avoiding me - though, honestly, if they’re that flexible I’m almost cool with it - but here I am, throwing a wrench in your Casanova plans and - oomph.”

Dan interrupted her tirade by throwing clothes at his girlfriend, “I’m way too skinny in the hips and shoulders,” he pecked her forehead quickly, “and it’s always okay for you to surprise me here Em.”

Emily meandered down to Dan’s room after changing into Barry’s sweatpants and t-shirt, just catching a glimpse of Dan’s back as he slid his own sleep shirt on. He turned and caught her giving him a very pointed once over, but Emily raised her eyebrows suggestively and laughed. 

“You sure Barry won’t mind me wearing his clothes?” she asked, plopping down on the bed.

Dan quickly waved her off, “you wouldn’t be the first girl I’ve brought back who wouldn’t fit my clothes.” Dan’s eyes widened as he realised what he said, “shit, I mean - ”

“Oh no, you mean … my thirty-seven-year-old boyfriend has been with women before me?” Emily teased, feigning shock and leaning back, “I’m”  _ yawn. _ “I’m clutching my pearls, I cannot  _ believe  _ this! And here I thought you were a gentleman Daniel Avidan.”

“I’m gonna smother you with my pillow,” he said, pulling back a corner of the blankets, “do you have a side you prefer or …”

Emily, with her eyes nearly shut, shook her head. Nonetheless, she flopped around until she got under the covers and rolled up in the corner next to the wall. Once on her side, she patted the pillow next to her and pulled back the covers more. With Dan in bed she curled up to his chest, and he instinctively rested his chin on her head and an arm loosely around her.

“I didn’t ask if you were actually okay with us sharing a bed,” he mused, slowly running a hand up and down her back.

“Uhh, my eyes are rolling so hard they’re about to fall out of my head,” she said quietly. Emily tapped her fingertips against his chest as sleep rapidly overtook her brain.

Dan’s body rumbled as he chuckled softly, “Hey … can I take you out on a real date tomorrow?” Emily nodded slowly and distantly revelled in how evident the smile in Dan’s voice was, “good, good I’ll pick you up at Roe’s -  _ like a gentleman, _ ” he teased.

Emily tried to press a kiss to his chest, but instead ended up smashing her face into his shirt and giggled silently at her own ridiculous. She sighed contently once more before finally giving in to her exhaustion, and let herself be dead to the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was supposed to go up like a month and a half ago, shit.
> 
> Also for Dan's Hannukah ... ngl I don't have any Jewish friends so I couldn't exactly ask about anything but I did try and google some shit and go off of stories Dan himself has shared so ... yeah. Also I doubt I've gotten Dana's character down but tbh I felt kinda creepy googling her as much as I did so ...


	9. Date Night

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heads up there's like ... a coming out of a sex scene towards the end? Nothing graphic, but if references to sex aren't something you want then just stop reading at the second 3-Astrix break :)

Barry’s clothes were not as comfortable to wake up in as they were to fall asleep in. When Emily woke up she found the band around her waist to be falling down, and the collar pressed against her throat was itchy. And then she realized in her daze that the bed she was in wasn’t her own, and had a three-second panic attack before remembering the seven-hour journey she had made south the day the before.

The reason for her journey, however, was not in bed with her. Furthermore, his side was relatively cold, so Dan must not have just woken up. So then where had he gone?

Emily gave herself a couple minutes to wake up and take in her surroundings; the extensive computer set-up on Dan’s music desk, the framed Rush albums, the football paraphernalia Emily didn’t really recognize. Before rolling out of bed and wandering down the hall to look for her man.

She walked in on him spinning around the kitchen, lip-synching into his phone to a song Emily barely recognised. She leaned against the doorway, affectionately watching as he finished recording and watched the playback with a smile, pressed some buttons, and nodded to himself.

“Disgusting,” she said, making her presence known, “I knew you were a morning person but I didn’t know it was this bad.”

Dan looked up at her with a smile and closed the gap between them, pulling her into his arms. Emily moved her face to the side to avoid having her face mashed into his chest. She felt him kiss the top of her head.

“Honestly, I don’t know if I can be with someone who can be so energetic before noon.”

Dan’s body rumbled against her, “well good morning to you too” he laughed, “you’ve been dead to the world for twelve hours, I was about to check on you.”

She pulled back to smile up at him and brought his head down to meet hers to give him a peck. Pulling away when he tried to take it further - she didn’t know if he’d still like her through her morning breath.

“C’mon,” he said, “I made you food.’

“You made me food eh?” Emily said, taking a seat at the table and yawning “you didn’t have to do that.”

“You did make me dinner last night.”

“Yeah after I almost gave you a heart attack and then stole your covers.”

“Nah you were a log,” Dan smiled, digging into his eggs, “now shut up and eat your turkey bacon.”

Emily raised a playful eyebrow but nonetheless picked through the potatoes, bacon, and coffee Dan had made, still a bit too soon after waking up to really have an appetite.The two sat in comfortable silence, only interrupted by the odd yawn from Emily and the clink of the fork against the plate. The sun had already been up for hours, but daily traffic was just getting into full swing a few streets away, the sound of people heading out into the world drifted through the open window.

“So, like, I don’t know if you heard me last night,” Dan said, bringing Emily’s attention back, “but I do have to work -”

“of course,” she interjected.

“- But I wanna take you out tonight. On a real date, if you’re up for it.”

Emily couldn’t contain her grin and internally scowled at the stutter in her heart, “sounds dope.” The couple stared at each other, “why the fuck I said dope I have no idea!” Dan laughed, “but, sounds like a plan. Should I meet you back here or …? Just because all my shits still at Roe’s.”

Dan waved her off with a shake of his curls, “I’ll just pick you up there, around … seven? It’ll be like a real courtship! Except, you know, it’s not the nineteen-tens, and we don’t need supervision - or will we?” he said, bouncing his eyebrows.

Emily winked over her mug and held her cool for a hot second before devolving into giggles with Dan.

* * *

“I just buzzed him into the building!” Roe called up the stairs, “you better hurry up!”

Up the stairs, in the bathroom with the door ajar,  Emily tugged on the hem of her tank top, and straightened her skinny jeans, she double checked her hair and makeup one last time, finally leaving the bathroom with a decisive nod. She started down the stairs when Roe called up: “don’t forget perfume!”, and sent Emily running back upstairs for a few spritzes. 

Roe let Dan in while Emily sat on the last step, buckling up her heel.

“I’m ready! I’m ready!” Emily exclaimed at Dan in the doorway, leaping to her feet. She reached out and used Dan for balance as she nearly toppled over.

“You good?” Dan chuckled, steadying her. Emily laughed but reassured him

Roe shooed the couple off with a kick to Emily’s butt, sending the giggling duo down to Dan’s car. 

“You look beautiful, by the way,” he said, making a show of opening the passenger side door with a grand sweep of his arm and helped her in. 

“Why thank you, kind sir, ” she said in her best regal imitation, “so you going to tell me what we’re doing? Or should I assume you’re going to drive us off a cliff?” Emily asked after a few minutes on the road.

“I’m pretty sure there aren’t in cliffs in LA proper,” Dan said, smiling, “but! I’m thinking Greek food - ”

“Heck yes, love me some dolmathes”

“- and then after that, some surprise entertainment.” he winked.

Emily gasped and turned to him with exaggerated excitement, “strippers!?”

Dan guffawed so loud Emily noticed women in the next car over peer over at them, which set Emily off into her own fit of giggles.

He navigated the LA traffic, Emily cursing out the other drivers for him in-between singing along to his CDs. They eventually pulled up to a restaurant and Dan rushed to open the door for her. Emily thanked him again in her faux regal voice and a mini curtsey that he returned with bow complete with flouncy hand gestures. 

The reservations Dan made meant they were seated with menus within minutes. A grinning waitress placed waters in their table and took their orders, but slumped once she was far enough away and dragged her feet back to the kitchen, hiding a yawn - Emily made a mental reminder to tip her well when they were done.

“You look nice too, by the way.” Emily said, Dan’s smile warming her insides, “don’t believe I’ve mentioned it, but you clean up nicely.”

“Thanks, but I mean, I came from the Grump Space.” he said, shrugging out of his white and black striped bomber jacket.

“Fine then,” she faked indignance, “then you … come from the Grump Space nicely?” the tip of her tongue poking out to mock him, “learn to take a compliment babe.”

“Babe?”

“Is my … baby boo sweet cupcake honey bunches … better?”

Dan gave her a blank look and put down his menu, “well, I must go,” he said, jokingly making to leave. 

Emily slipped a hand over his to stop him and interlaced their fingers, ‘don’t you dare.” Dan smiled, stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.

He just smiled a certain smile at her, not long enough for Emily to be concerned, but enough to pique her interest, “what?”

“How do you slip into this so easily?” he asked.

“Depends on what you mean by ‘this’,” she answered, “because if you mean this shirt, I promise you I did not.”

“I meant,” Dan said, gesturing vaguely between them, “all the couple stuff. Pet names and … this instant comfort? You come into it so much easier than past girlfriends I’ve had.”

Emily shrugged, “well I mean, before anything else you’re just my friend who makes obvious dick jokes, with a smile that stops my heart,” Dan smiled bashfully at that, “but also I love you, and when you love someone, you do your best to minimize walls - whether they be intentional or not.”

Dan froze behind his glass of water. A lightbulb went off in Emily’s head making her, in turn, stutter; the carefree ease and confidence she had disappeared and the young woman brought her hands back into her lap and shifted uncomfortably.

“Don’t say anything out of obligation,” she said quickly, the anxiety in Dan’s eyes settled, “I just … needed to tell you how I feel, I guess? So, say it when you’re ready or … y’know … don’t.” Dan’s face eased and Emily took it as a sign to barrel onwards, “But anyways, I’m looking at the dolmathes and they sound tasty.”

Dinner continued smoothly, the familiarity and comfort the couple share coming back in an instant. They talked through dinner, stealing bits off each others’ plate, and creating backstories for the other patrons during conversation lulls.

They finished up dinner and Danny escorted Emily back to his car with a guiding hand on her lower back. Despite her needling, he refused to give up their post-dinner location, only giving his girlfriend the hint of, ‘it’s somewhere you rarely get to go, but love going when you do.’

To which Emily replied could be anywhere since she spends the most time in the library.

Dan pulled into the parking lot and Emily looked up at the neon sign flashing above the door. 

“Should I be concerned that you’ve taken me to a place called Lazer - with a zed - Party.” Emily said, climbing out of the car, “wait, is it actually strippers? Ah, dreams do come true.”

With a hand on the small of her back, Dan led her through the door and into the dimly lit building. The lights may have been turned down but the but the two dozen machines flashed and pinged, some game and plastic guns to their left beeped with some announcer’s booming voice intermittently. What looked like a group of guys her age clustered around the bar, but otherwise everyone else was mulling around the arcade games. Rock music - songs Emily recognised that Dan likes - filled the bits of silence where the games didn’t. A few people’s eyes turned to them as they entered but drifted away soon enough.

“you've told me about how you love arcades but only go to them with your cousin during the holidays when you’re in Scotland,” Dan explained, “figured I'd take you to my favourite one in the area.”

Emily gazed around the room in wonder, “I love it,” she said quietly, finally catching Dan beam down at her.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

He let Emily revel for a few more seconds then clapped, “alright, then where do you want to start?”

Emily surveyed the room, “how about … you figure out the token situation, I’ll go grab us some drinks from the bar.”

“Alright, get me a soda?”

“You mean a pop?” Emily teased, twirling and shooting him finger guns before sauntering over to the bar to place their order. As she waited, she split her attention between her phone and watching Dan queue behind other kids her own age. They locked eyes and Dan playfully grimaced - the kids were loudly going on about how excited they were to play ‘these ancient games’.

It was in the middle of browsing when some guy pulled up immediately beside her. He ordered his whatever, and Emily paid no mind until he broke the silence.

“Looks like you’ve been waiting a while.” his voice oozed smug entitlement and it took everything Emily had not to roll her eyes.

Emily glanced up, saw coiffed blond hair and pointedly scanned the many people at the bar. She noticed the group of frat boys looking overly invested, and doing a terrible job of hiding that they were eavesdropping on this conversation. “there are worse things,” she said simply, going back to her phone. 

“So you here alone?” he asked again, cutting to the chase.

“Nope.” she said, popping the P.

The blond’s eyes followed Emily’s as she instinctively looked at Dan messing with the machine. He looked back at her incredulously, “that guy? What is he? Your uncle? I don’t know who's more pathetic, honestly.”

The bartender placed her drinks down and Emily snatched them up. She finally locked eyes with the most basic, generic man she had ever seen and put on The Face she used at all of her grandparents’ functions. 

“From a woman you never had a chance with, I’m going give you some advice,” and watching his face go from arrogance to confusion was so satisfying, “before you try talking shit about people, make sure you’re interesting. Because,” and she motioned towards Dan with her glass, “that man has more personality in the tips of his fingers than you do as a whole - if this conversation was anything to go on.”

Emily gave him a tight lipped smile and moved around him, raising her eyebrows when she heard him mutter ‘bitch’ behind his back, and only smirked harder. Dan waved her over to one of the game machines with a giant RAMPAGE down the side. Grinning, she made her way back to Dan, playfully bumping into him and curled into his side as he jumped right into explaining how to play the game.

“Though I do love you - and I do love you” Dan said, gazing down at her, the full weight of his words settling like embers in her heart, “prepare to get your ass beaten.”

Emily reached up and pulled Dan down by the collar. They shared a thoughtful look before Emily leaned forward and kissed him hard. Luckily for the two of them, Dan’s inherent distaste for PDA stopped them from going too far, but Emily was still drunk on her emotions and couldn’t help grinning like an idiot.

“Just you wait until we get to air hockey,” she told him when her words returned to her, “then I’ll be the one kicking your sweet,” she looked over his backside, “sweet ass, babe.”

Dan bumped her jokingly, and then she bumped back into him in retaliation. The two giggling as much as the older man had done when he was her age.

* * *

Emily let out a shaky breath, her body losing all tension and melted into the bed; gently tugging Dan’s face from between her legs. The older man rested his cheek on her thigh, pressing his lips to wherever they could reach and kept kissing his way up her body. Emily ran her fingers through his curls as he made his way over her stomach, then her breasts. She pulled him away when he tried burying his face in her neck and all but devoured his face.

She pulled away, pecking his lips and peppering Dan’s face with kisses. He smiled down from above her, then gently lifted her head and slid his arm underneath.

“So, uh … fuck, yeah I get, I get it. Sex is nice. It’s good,” Emily said, coming out of a daze.

Dan chuckled and tucked tendrils of hair behind her ear, “well I had fun,” he smiled, giving Emily’s forehead a kiss, “though I do feel a bit bad. I should have lit candles or … spread rose petals or something to make your first time more special.”

“Your dick wasn’t any less bomb because there weren’t rose petals babe, and candles are a fire hazard, especially with your hair,” she said, earning a loud snort from her boyfriend, “but no darling, I may be sore in the morning, but ... I love you so so much, and it was special because you’re special,” she smiled lazily.

Dan pulled her closer, pressing a long kiss to her forehead, and whispering sweet sentiments in Emily’s ear. They stayed like that until Emily’s heart rate slowed, and they she swung a leg over Dan’s waist and straddled his waist, ready to go again. She leaned down to give him a deep kiss, pulled back and rested her forehead on his.

“Y’know … never thought I was the kind of woman who goes to bed with a guy on the first date,” she said quietly.

Her boyfriend ran his hands lazily up and down her sides, “I feel like, emotionally it’s our hundred and one-th date, even if it only is our first actual date.”

Emily pulled back, resting her palms off of Dan’s shoulders, eyes twinkling with mirth, “I’m sorry, did you just say hundred and one-th?”

“Yup.”

“You don’t want to amend that to say, I don’t know, hundred and first?”

“Nope.” he said, playfully poking the side of her breast.

She stuck her tongue out at him, “you’re a dumbass,” she teased, but with love evident in her voice.

“Oh yeah?”

“Yes, you are.”

“Well could a dumbass do this!” he exclaimed, wrapping his arms around her and flipping them both - almost falling off his bed. Emily screamed and laughed, playfully swatting at Dan’s arms. And as the night went on they were both very, very glad that Barry wouldn’t be home for a couple more days.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fuuuuckking finally. This is a belated birthday to me, but also here. Ngl wanted to include intimate moments between the two, didn't know how, and just screamed in my head for twenty years on how to execute it.


	10. Close Calls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Someone from outside the inner circle finds out about Emily and Dan, and Danny turns thirty-eight!

_ ‘And it’s me you need to show! How deep is your love?’  _

Emily almost snapped her pen in half as the same line kept repeating over and over and over and over again in her head. Ever since her trip last month to visit Dan she had been exchanging music recommendations with Brian, as the older man’s taste were more in line with her own, surprisingly.

She was looking forward to giving Brian a smack when she saw later tonight.

But for the moment she would have to make-do with grumbling to herself over her pretzels and hummus, sitting in her little nook in the cafeteria, waiting for Kyle to get out of his … something physics class. The older man insisting on treating her to coffee for once before she left for a couple weeks. The shadow that appeared over her books and snacks was much too early to be Kyle, and looking up she already felt exhausted upon seeing Josh loom over her. 

“Hey man, what’s up?” she asked cheerily. Josh hadn’t become outwardly bitter or rude since Emily turned him down, but he had gotten into the habit of pestering her about her relationship and making disparaging comments towards Dan - even though he still didn’t even know that it was Dan, or even who was Dan.

Josh shrugged and helped himself to the seat across from her, “what are you still doing here?”

“Uh, I’m leaving for California in a few hours, and I’m grabbing an early brunch with Kyle before I go,” Emily said nodding, uncapping a highlighter and turning back to her textbook. 

“You are always up in the air it seems,” he said nonchalantly, “I don’t know if I could fly as often as you do for a girl.”

“Well I do love him,” she said, barely hiding her clipped tone, “and I’m more than willing to fly down to visit him.”

Josh nodded silently, drumming his fingers on the table and Emily offered him some pretzels that he wordlessly declined. She had adjusted the NY Giants toque Danny had given her as she tried to control her expression. God she almost wished he would harass her like usual, the silence arguably worse than the usual badgering.

“Oh hey, can I check the time on your phone?” Josh asked after what felt like a year of silence, “I left mine with Angie to charge in the library.”

“Yeah, no problem,” Emily said sliding her phone across the table. Her textbook had scans of a primary source journal entry which was much more interesting than trying to humour her classmate with conversation.

She heard him fiddle with buttons to open the screen and then whisper ‘what the fuck’ under his breath. 

“Yooo, you met Danny Sexbang?”

Emily froze. She and Dan hadn’t actually spoken about how open they were going to be with their relationship - and it’s not like they were household name celebrities so it didn’t really matter - but Dan is a public figure with a following. The Lovelies were cool though right? If this did eventually get out they probably wouldn’t like, come after her or anything. All that aside, did she really want Josh and his entitlement knowing who the ‘elusive boyfriend’ was?

_ ‘I mean … if it gets him off my ass’ _ , she thought to herself. 

“Well I would certainly hope so,” Emily said nonchalantly, “I am dating him.”

When Emily finally looked up from the text she saw Josh gaping at her. 

“Isn’t he like … forty-five years old or something?” the distaste and disapproval dripping from his voice.

That was it, that was the last straw. It was one thing for family members and friends to judge their relationship (Emily knew Arin still wasn’t that fond of her) but Robert had been easily convinced and Suzy was an absolute gem. At least these people knew her and Dan and therefore their opinion held weight. People like Josh though? No, no he didn’t get a say.

“He is _ just today _ turning thirty-eight, actually,” Emily bristled.

“Isn’t it weird? I mean, isn’t he … I don’t know … a little ol-”

“I mean, arguably yes he is,” she interrupted, staring the man down, “yes Dan is maybe too old for me, but you know what? I don’t care, he doesn’t care, the people around us are supportive. And honestly,  _ honestly _ , if I had a dollar for every time someone assumed I give two shits about their opinion of my relationship with a man I love, I’d be a fucking millionaire in my own right.” she spat. Josh recoiled in his seat, rightfully looking afraid.

Luckily for both of them, Kyle appeared and pulled Emily back with a hand on her shoulder. She stuffed her books and snacks into her bag and stalked off leaving her friend to catch up to her leaning against her car breathing deeply to calm herself down. As Kyle came closer Emily dug around in her bag pocket for her car keys and threw them at his chest before slinking around to the passenger’s side.

She knew she was being irrational and was so angry at herself for letting Josh get her this emotional - and this was just the tip of the iceberg? One douche in her class she could deal with, but what about if and when she and Dan actually went full public. She had seen the kind of hate his platonic girl friends got on social media; Dan had been in the public eye for almost a decade and reporters did know her name through her family - but this was different. 

“You wanna talk about it?” Kyle asked, finally breaking the silence.

“Nothing to talk about,” Emily answered curtly, “Josh was gonna say some shit that would have gotten him smacked and I’m upset. But I’m not gonna let some college-frat boy wannabe fuck-head make me feel bad about my relationship.”

Her phone chirped with a message from Suzy; the picture she sent was of Dan laughing in a cheap paper birthday hat, face covered in icing as Brian stood next to him holding a plate of smushed cake grinning at the camera - and Emily found her previous anger dissipate instantly.

She sighed and looked dreamily at her phone, which tipped Kyle off as they pulled in front of the meter. 

“You all good then?” he asked with a knowing smile. 

Emily grinned and started shimmying, “I get to see my man today, I get to be my man today,” she sang, giggling as Kyle shook his head with a smile.

* * *

Dan stood amongst the massive crowd of people at the end of the Arrival Runway, scrolling through his phone but keeping one eye on the entryway. Emily told him that she hired a delivery service to take care of her luggage, so she should be running out before everyone else with only a backpack bouncing behind her. 

And speed ahead she did - only a few people from the same flight trickled out before she raced out and skidded to a stop, adjusting her beanie while scanning the crowd frantically until she locked eyes with Danny, beamed, and slipped between people towards him. She hopped over bags, sidestepped other reunions, and didn’t stop until she crashed into him and wrapped her arms around his middle. Dan had to take a step back to brace them from falling over, but rested his chin on top of his head and rocked their bodies back and forth.

Emily pulled back and hopped up to peck Dan on the lips then landed in a pose, “your birthday present has arrived,” she giggled. 

Dan chortled as he laced their fingers together and led her out of the airport, Emily swinging their arms as they went

“So we’re all going out for dinner tonight, yeah?,” she asked, settling into her seat while Dan navigated traffic, “is it just the Grumps? Or do I have to try to make good first impressions?

“Emily - uh other Emily - Emily Roche was going to come,” Dan told her, “and I was going to have my two favourite crazy haired Emilys together - but she has a job out of the city so no it’s just us.” He took a hand off the wheel to run his fingers through her, “by the way, liking the blue mixed in there now.”

She whipped back and forth, flipping her hair over her shoulders, “I figured I should put your favourite colour in there for your birthday.”

Dan gently placed a hand on his chest, “aww, Em,” he said, his voice softly awestruck. 

“That, and my colour was fading and I wanted to mix it up a little.”

“Oh,” Dan’s voice returning to normal, “then I guess I’ll go fuck myself.”

Emily looked at him with fake confusion, “and here I was thinking that was my job,” she said, holding her expression for few seconds before breaking with a wink. Dan raised his eyebrows and chortled.

The couple sang and danced all the way back to Dan’s apartment, pulling up right as the delivery van did so Dan went ahead and unlocked the door while Emily signed off on her luggage. 

He reappeared in the door at the same time Emily reached the top of the stairs.

“Do I even want to know how much longer we would have had to wait if you had to find your own bags?” Dan took her luggage and wheeled it behind, plopping onto the couch.

“I’m gonna estimate like … fifty thousand years, give or take,” she said, kicking off her shoes, “like, I honestly cannot even begin to tell you how ridiculous it is” she sat next to Dan, swivelled and laid across the couch, head in his lap, “and I  _ swear _ babe if you ever question how much I love you, just look at how fucking bullshit the LAX is,” Dan combed his fingers through her hair, “you wouldn’t have such insanity in Glasgow - it’s a lot, but not that much,” she finished her rant muttering.

“Well I’m glad you came,” Dan smiled.

“My airport interactions answer that old love song question that I’m gonna kill Brian for”, Emily yawned, smirking at his confusion, “y’know, how deep is your love?”

Dan snickered, bouncing Emily’s head with his knee. She mocked shock up at him before swinging one of the couch cushions at his face. 

* * *

“Emily! Dan!” Suzy yelled across the restaurant, waving the couple down. Emily secured her gift under her arm and ran ahead to hug the older girl. 

“Good Lord I've missed y'all” Emily said squeezing Suzy tightly. Another woman introduced herself as Rachel - Brian's wife - but the two women followed each other on twitter so it was more formality than anything. She reached behind Rachel quickly to flick Brian in the ear.

“that's for the Bee Gees,” she growled, garnering confused looks around the table but a shit-eating grin from the man himself.

Jack was lined up right behind, swiftly crushing Emily in his arms too. After Roe and Danny, Emily had taken to messaging Jack across social media, the two even making plans to get together over in the UK this year. 

Standing behind Jack, however, was a woman Emily had only ever seen in the odd picture, but Emily had heard a lot from Danny and Suzy. She stood at around the same height as Emily herself and had an even longer version of Dan’s locks - seeing her in person made Emily wonder even more how Ross could have gotten them confused.

“you must be Katie! I'm Emily” Emily introduced, extending her hand, “Dan’s spoken very highly of you”.

“I'm sure they're all lies,” Katie said with an easy smile, “but yeah, Dan literally won't shut up about you”.

“Katie!” Dan whined from his seat, “sto-op Emily's gonna think I have a crush on her”.

“Yeah, you're embarrassing him, God!” Arin chimed in the same cadence.

The girls laughed as they sat down. Emily knew that Katie was one of Danny’s best friends from back East. She should have known that Danny would include Katie in a list of ‘the usual group’ but hopefully, Katie and Emily would get on like they did with the man they have in common.

The waiter came around, took everyone’s order. The collective agreement was to just order a bunch of whatever sushi and steal off each other's plates, Holly being the exception and having various veggie rolls to herself. 

Emily found herself getting lost in the conversation happening around the table. There seemed to be an overarching discussion that everyone was involved in, but at the same time with fourteen people in one place, the individual conversations sprouted up and were loud enough to be heard even from opposite ends of the long table.

Mostly, Emily was content to sit back and listen to everything going on. Watching Dan light up at the quips from Barry and impressions from Arin warmed her heart in ways that made her exhaustion from the school and the plane ride worth it.  

The table idly chatted some more until Ross all but crushed Danny’s crotch when he threw his gift at the older man, chanting ‘presents presents presents’ until everyone joined him. Danny’s hair bounced with his laughter, but the man conceded to his friends’ demands.

Danny’s face lit up at what his friends got him. Emily recognised most of the gifts relating to  _ Rush _ , or  _ Def Leppard _ or other bands that sat on the tip of her tongue but couldn’t actually name. Suzy got him a realistic model of a stegosaurus skeleton model. Brian and Rachel had found a sick painting of dinosaurs as rock stars - that one made Dan throw his head back in glee.

Finally, all eyes landed on Emily and the small rectangle that sat next to her plate.

“I may have consulted Brian and Robert to get ideas about what to get you,” she admitted, handing over her carefully wrapped present.

“Robert?” Arin question from down the table.

“My cousin, he’s about Dan’s age” she explained, not missing the look Arin gave - she was used to it by now. 

Danny smirked and side-eyed Emily as he slowly unwrapped her gift. The smile dropped off his face, quickly replaced with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. He opened the cover and delicately flipped through the pages of the book.

“No fucking way,” he breathed, “no, oh … oh my God!”. He cradled the gift to his chest and all but smashed Emily to his chest, “this is … fuck, this is too fucking cool.”

Emily beamed up at her boyfriend and reached out, opening the cover and turning the first few blank pages and landing on the title. Dan’s eyes scanned the page and froze again. She watched him read the words once, twice, and a third time; then he whipped around and stared down at his girlfriend.

“Marry me,” he said, “marry me, tonight, let’s do it, right now.”

Guests at other tables started to get curious, looking over at the table. The others turned to assure everyone that nothing was happening.

“Maybe after we reach the year mark, sweetheart,” Emily grinned, patting his chest. 

Dan held up the book to show the group, passing it to Arin to flip through.

“ _ The Last Unicorn _ , published in 1968 - this is not only from the original publishing run with original cover art - but look the title page, look at it.  _ Look at it _ ,” he demanded.

“Dear Danny,” Barry read, “Thank you for reminding me why I do what I do, I hope you enjoy this token of creativity and continue to keep the magic alive,” Barry looked up at Dan amazed, “cheers, Peter S Beagle.”

“Dude that's sick!” Ross exclaimed before turning to Emily, “how did you manage to get this?” he demanded.

“Just … y’know,” Emily shrank into her seat, brushing them off “family connections.”

Luckily, everyone was more concerned with celebrating Dan than questioning his girlfriend. Emily internally sighed in relief, happy to keep her secret another day - but when Dan leaned over and pressed a kiss to her temple she knew she would be telling him soon.


	11. Grand Reveals

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily bonds with Katie, Dan shares more of his past, and Emily reveals her not-quite-a-secret secret

“Whoa there!” Emily exclaimed, taking a step back for the construction crew. She held the door open for the line of people in hard hats who thanked her as they left.

“Watch the beams!” Arin called from across the room, drawing Emily’s attention to debris hanging from the ceiling.  Wrapping the ends of her cardigan and hugging her bag close to her body she traversed the Grump Space towards the clear patch around the couches where everyone had set up shop as the office underwent renovations. She fist-bumped Ryan and planted herself on the armrest beside him and pointed at a random spot on his screen.

“Needs a green highlight,” she said.

“Does it?” Ryan deadpanned.

“Yes, like fluorescent green,” she said matter-of-factly, “and I, of course, know everything about editing so … yeah.”

“Fair enough,” he said, “but I’m not gonna do that.”

“Wow.”

“Yeah, wow.”

“Rude.”

“Are you giving Ryan a hard time?” Dan asked, coming around a corner and wrapping an arm around her. Emily kissed her fingertips, reached up, and tapped them against his scruffy cheek.

“Boo,” Emily said in lieu of a greeting, “and of course, it’s the entirety of what our friendship is made of.”

Dan smiled at her and glanced over at Ryan, and who shrugged in nonchalant agreeance. Emily giggled and intertwined their fingers, and Dan lifted their hands pressed his lips to her knuckles and almost had his mouth ripped off when Katie appeared and Emily whipped her hand free as she leapt to her feet. 

“Ow,” he whined, making a show of gently touching his mouth.

“Shoot! sorry babe,” she quickly kissed his cheek, “but I am ready to go,” she said turning to Katie, “and I am starving - y’know I don’t want to know what Dan and Barry eat like when I’m not around given the state of their cupboards.”

“Hey!”

“I’ve been out of town!”

the two girls laughed at them as they headed back across the debris and left the Grumps hard at work.

When Dan came to bed the night of his birthday, handing over a piece of paper with a phone number and told her that Katie wanted to have lunch, Emily thought about it for a split second before sending off a text and joining her boyfriend in his affections. What was a bit more surprising was waking up to a text the next morning, with an explicit invitation from the older woman. Dan laughed when Emily fluttered around that morning, worrying about her outfit and what Katie would think of her before Dan calmed her down; assuring that one of his oldest friends would love her because he loved her.

So there Emily was, sitting across from the only person in Danny’s life more intimidating than his parents - Arin may not like her, but at least she knew where she stood with him.

“So you’re liking LA so far?” Katie asked, “I split between the east and west coast and I’m still not sure which I prefer.”

“Yeah! I mean it’s definitely busy, even Victoria during tourist season doesn’t really compare,” Emily laughed, “but it’s pretty cool. Suzy’s been really great and showing me around when Dan’s busy.

”Awesome,” Katie nodded.

The two fell into silence and Emily twiddled her thumbs, racking her brain trying to think of any possible conversation topic.

“Look, I’m gonna be straight with you,” Katie said after a couple minutes, “I wanted to talk with you about you and Dan.”

Emily winced and was silent in her seat.

“Like … wow, would you believe I’m a playwright? geez,” Katie gestured and looked everywhere but at Emily, searching for words, “just ... Danny .... is … a grown man, but he’s also a big softie okay? And, y’know, he cares about you a lot.” she said, taking a big breath, “and Danny is the guy who supported me coming out to the east coast, he’s like a big brother to me. And I just really don’t want to see him get hurt.” 

Emily played with her food and avoided eye contact, trying to figure out how to respond, but when she locked eyes with Katie all she blurted out was: “wait are you giving me the shovel talk?”

Katie shrugged, “yeah, I guess I am? A very meek one, but yes?”

A couple seconds of uncomfortable silence befell them again before leaned back in her chair and sighed, “fuck, thank you.” At Katie’s quizzical look she elaborated, 

“Arin treats me like a distant acquaintance, Ross is nice enough but doesn’t care for me, Holly only talks to me when Suzy’s around,” Emily explained, “I mean, Barry is warming up to me, but he also sees me the most since he and Dan live together.” Katie looked surprised, “so, everyone wants to say something to me, and you’re the only one with the balls to do it so - thank you.”

Katie looked relieved at the reaction she got.

“That being said,” Emily said, fixing her eyes on the older woman, “I need you to understand that I love Dan - like, really really love him. Y’know, and it kills me that I don’t get to have normal dates and every goddamn time somebody asks me about my relationship I have to go on the defence - but you know what? You know what?” Emily became acutely aware of bringing down her grand gestures and volume, “if anyone is worth the effort - it’s Dan. You know the guy better than me, so if anyone knows that, it’s gonna be you. And, if nothing else … it can’t hurt to have someone else on my side - hopefully,” Emily smiled, “you’re a good friend to Dan, I can’t fault you for that.”

“Y’know I gotta admit, it’s nice for once to not be accused of wanted to bed one of my best friends,” Katie said with an almost bitter smile.

Emily shrugged, “You’ve had years to get with Dan if you haven’t at this point that’s on you - and as a friend, I assume you want him to be happy. Confusing him emotionally is not happiness.”

“Fucking,” Katie raised her cup, “cheers to that.”

The girls laughed, clinking their glasses together. Emily couldn’t stop thinking about how happy she was to get home to Dan later and tell him about how she’s befriended one of his best friends (two down, four to go).

All it took to bring down her mood was a tall, slim, blonde sauntering into the café, ordering something to-go before catching sight of Katie out of the corner of her, whipping around and running towards the woman all but squealing.

“Oh my god Katie!” she shrieked, sliding into the booth beside Katie, “it’s been so long! How have you been?”

To credit, Katie did her best her conceal her shock and confusion - but Emily didn’t spend summers in etiquette school to not be-be able pick up on subtle clues.

“Hey, Melissa, how’s it going?” Katie asked. 

“Life’s good you know? Career is going great!” Melissa started counting off her fingers, the glacier on her left hand blinding Emily in the sun, “I have the cutest dog, just moved into a condo with the boyfriend - who!” she wiggled the rock in their faces, “is now the fiancé.”

“Yeah,” Katie smiled, “that’s awesome, glad to know your opinion of marriage has changed so radically.”

The smile left Melissa’s eyes and her voice turned forced and clipped, “Yeah, well. Brandon is the one.”

Emily watched the pregnant pause between the two women who were boring holes into each other's heads; trying to figure out why marriage would cause this reaction between the older women. It broke when Melissa smiled and finally decided acknowledge Emily.

“Sorry, who were you?”

And wow, if Emily didn't already dislike the way the newcomer spoke to Katie, she definitely didn't have a good opinion of the woman based on how she spoke to her.

“Name’s Emily McLeod,” she said, reaching out a hand, “pleasure to meet you”.

hell yeah Emily, make grandad proud.

“Well I'm Melissa Garter,” she said flippantly, “so are you and Katie like … roommates or something?”

“No actually, I'm Canadian, just down visiting my boyfriend,” Emily told her, noticing how the blonde’s face lit up.

“ooh,” she cooed, “that's quite a trip I hope he's a special one.”

“He's worth it,” Emily said, “he's funny and good-hearted and makes you feel like you're one of the most important things in his world”.

Melissa made some sort of excited face, but Emily knew she didn't really care - just that relationships were apparently the only thing she could fake interest in.

“She's dating Danny, Mel,” Katie said, her tone a touch smug.

The blonde whipped her head and stared amused, “aren’t there laws against that? what are you, sixteen?”

Emily stiffened and Katie had to hide her grin behind her hand. Setting her mouth in a rigid line and holding Melissa’s eyes in a deadlock.

“For the record, Melissa Garter, I'm twenty-two,” Emily clasped her hands, “and currently I am working towards a doctorate and am lucky enough to study under a distinguished doctor in his own right. I’ve been living on my own ever since I graduated high school early, I speak six languages and have travelled to every continent. I’ve been through etiquette school in order to dine with noblemen - but more importantly, my extracurricular education makes it very easy for me to see how uncivil and dull you are as a person..” 

Melissa just stared at her, obviously floundering for words until she settled for a smug look before getting out of their booth, “you know, Dan used to have taste.”

Emily didn’t turn to watch Melissa leave the bistro, she sat seething with her jaw and fists clenched. It wasn’t even that the blonde bitch had insulted her, she got enough of that from her grand aunt around the holidays - but how dare this stranger, to appear out of nowhere and making scathing implications about Dan’s character.

“Who was that?” Emily asked after she calmed herself down.

it took Katie a while to find her words, “that … that really is something you need to discuss with Dan,” she settled on.

Emily nodded and conceded, and the two took a moment to breathe.

“So … noblemen?” Katie piped up.

“yeah, one of my best friends is the son of a Duke,” Emily said offhandedly, before realising what she admitted to so casually.  Hesitant, she lowered her cup, and refused to look Katie in the eye, “there may be, uh … when Dan and I have that talk, there’s gonna be something I’m gonna … have to discuss too, I guess?” she shrugged.

Katie sighed and raised her drink, “you know what, at least you’re legal to drink down here”.

Emily chuckled humourlessly and clinked their glasses, “thank god for that!”

* * *

Netflix droned on in the background but Emily wasn’t paying attention. Spread out along the couch, she drummed a beat on her stomach and let her mind run in circles both thanking the fact that Barry was such a workaholic and trying to figure out how to bring up the surprise guest at lunch with her boyfriend.

Melissa had to be an ex of some sort, but Dan had never spoken of an ex with such malicious thoughts towards him … or anyone who came off as airheaded as the blonde had. Maybe airheaded wasn’t the right word, and Emily hated making anything even sounding like an assumption based on a person’s intelligent - maybe disingenuous was better? Granted Melissa didn’t know Emily and vice versa but something about their interaction left a bad taste in Emily’s mouth. 

Then there was the matter of Emily had finally let her origins slips, and while it didn’t seem like Katie had any reason to tell Dan, she also didn’t have any reason not to tell Dan; and Emily had no idea how her boyfriend was going to react. Technically speaking, Dan never asked about her family abroad, and she never had a reason to bring them up - but lying by omission is still lying.

Emily was so deep in thought she didn’t notice Dan come home until he lifted her legs to sit down in their place.

“Hey you, he greeted, running his hands down her legs.

“Hey” she smiled.

“You and Katie okay? She said something about how we needed to talk about something because of something that happened.”

“Wow, cut to the chase right away,” Emily chuckled weakly, “fuck, alright,” she said, sitting up and swinging her legs of Dan’s lap, “who … is Melissa Garter? She surprised us at lunch and I get the feeling Katie doesn’t like her much...”

Dan froze in his seat, the only indication that he hadn’t passed out was his eye blinking in disbelief and his mouth opening and closing like a fish.

“Mel was here? In LA?” Dan asked. Emily nodded, Dan leaned into the back of the couch mouthing a silent ‘wow’.

Emily leaned in and put a hand over his, rubbing a thumb across his knuckles.

“Melissa … haaa,” he groaned, “Melissa … is the woman I almost married.”

It was Emily’s turn to stiffen and gape, “oh, I wasn’t … oh.”

Dan shrugged, “it has been .... fuck, over ten years now? I was in my early-mid twenties, finished school, I was getting my OCD under control, and in a promising band. I loved the girl I was with - Melissa” he made a tired gesture and Emily grabbed his other hand and cradled them in her lap. Dan shifted to sitting cross-legged and facing her, “- and thought marriage was the next obvious step, despite her … agreeing, when I subtly brought up, implied, whatever, the idea of … marriage” he sighed, “she found the ring, freaked out, fucking,” he ran a hand through his hair, “told me how I should have know better, how she wasn’t the ‘marrying kind’ and, and, and how she ‘just knew’ the band was gonna take off and she couldn’t deal with the west coast … she put her shit in a box and left that night,” he sighed.

“She’s … engaged, Dan,” Emily told him tenderly, “Katie made some comment about Melissa and marriage.”

Dan blew a raspberry and laughed, “of course! She is!”

Emily brought Dan’s hands up to kiss both knuckles and intertwine their fingers, effectively making him quiet down, “I’m sorry you had to go through that, sweetie.”

“Really, Em,” he said with a soft smile, “I’m over it - it’s been a more than ten years.”

“Still though, it couldn’t have been easy,” she said, “my cousin Liam actually had to break off an engagement last year and it nearly destroyed him - and maybe I don’t like the idea you being sad when I can’t make a - a stupid joke and make you feel better. And I feel … conflicted because … ” she frowned, “I’m upset you went through that, that you had your heart broken so badly … but if you married her I wouldn’t get my shot to be with you, so ...”

Dan kissed her forehead then both cheeks, “fuck I love you so much,” he said, pulling her into a hug.

Emily relished, as she always did, in the way Dan’s slight frame could wholly encompass her and how his worn leather jacket mixed with his cologne; and goddamn does she miss this when she’s at school.

“but other than her you're okay?” Dan asked when he finally pulled away.

“Yeah!” Emily said just a little too quickly.

Dan looked at Emily, unsure if he should press further. She watched his brain flounder for what to say.

Emily took a deep breath and sighed, “I … how … how poorly would you … accept lying by omission - like,” her eyes flashed to Dan’s face showing his hurt and confusion, “- no! Sweetheart, it’s, it’s not anything that would hurt, hurt you - I could never it’s … fucking … fuck - fuck - I’m rich!” she finally exclaimed, “my family is rich and influential and  I don’t make a habit of talking about it, but I’ve been avoiding it and I’m sorry.”

Dan slumped back with relief, “that’s it? You have money? That’s not, y’know, a bad thing or anything -  so your family is well off, that’s not … it’s whatever Em.”

Emily ran a hand through her hair, “no sweetie, I’m not “well-off” when I say I’m rich… I’m rich. As in I have clothes that cost more than a semester tuition,” Dan’s eyes popped out of his head, “I’ve never flown below business class - even then I rarely fly business, uh, one of the wings at school is in my grandparents' name, fucking … my best friend in Scotland is the son of a Duke … I’m rich, Dan”. 

“O-oh”.

Emily reached up and cupped Dan’s face, “it doesn’t … it doesn’t change anything babe, I’m still me, I’m just me with more than enough money for me to buy dinner more often than you let me”.

Dan chuckled and brought her hands down, then a look of realization dawned across his face, “wait, is that why random money showed up after I dropped you off the week we met, and - and, again when Suzy picked you up from the airport?” Emily smiled, “wait - is that also why said money was a hundred and fifty dollars?” he demanded.

She laughed and shrugged, “I - I know how horrible LA traffic is and I don’t know how outrageous gas prices are here, I wanted to make sure you were both properly compensated.”

Chortling, Dan fell forward pushing them both on Emily’s back, wrapping his arms around her middle and resting his head on her shoulder, gently nosing along the bottom of her neck. She prompted him to fix their jumbled legs, wrapped her own arms around his shoulders and slipped a finger into the fro at the nape of his neck.

“Is that it though?” Emily asked, “is that the worst of our secrets?”

“Well, I don’t remember killing anyone, but if I remember I’ll definitely bring it up,” he told her.

They stayed on the couch, talking about nothing and terrible puns until Barry came home. The editor walked through the door and said nothing until he snuck up on the couple, grabbed one of the throw pillows cackled as he whacked them. Dan fell to the floor laughing while Emily leapt to her feet running to the other side of the room, pleading with Barry to show mercy - and in the back of her mind revelled in how right everything felt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I have been trying to incorporate actual shit going on with the Grumps with the AU I've created (eg the renovations to what the Grump space looks like now) and I know Danny admitted to thinking he was gonna marry someone age ago I think? long story short don't go like ... looking for the ep that's mentions bc she don't exist xx


	12. An Itch that Drove Him Mad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan fucks up, then has to fix it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Very Dan centric chapter. As Emily is barely in there.

The first time Dan felt real, eviscerating heartbreak came upon his graduating high school. Her name was Jessica Anderson, and she and Dan had dated since the summer before junior year right up until they parted ways for university. Those two years were basically a lifetime in teen years and like most teens, they tried to make the long distance, but it became apparent when Jessica went across the country to a business school that the country was a distance too far. 

The break up absolutely destroyed Dan; his first roommate at university asked to change rooms because his nightly sobbing was too much. And if Melissa ruined his ability to commit, then his relationship with Jessica definitely planted the festering seed. The irony briefly crossed Dan’s mind when he moved out to LA. 

Between Jessica and Melissa, the result was Dan never had a relationship last longer than a year and a half - most of them not making the year mark. There was an almost … itchy feeling as milestones grew closer that would make him call it off. It was an issue his family, especially Dana, had been trying to work him on for years.

And Dan really fucking hated himself that this time it started around Emily’s birthday. 

“Like, fucking, you came all the way down here for my thirty-eighth, I feel like such a dick not being there for yours,” Dan said into the phone as he walked around the office, “just the biggest bag of dicks. I should be there.”

“Shit, I didn’t know I was turning thirty-eight,” Emily joked on the other end, “but no, babe it’s fine. Literally, I’m gonna do what I always do; i-e lock myself in Kyle’s office, read all day, work on papers, then grab a single serving of cheap cake from the grocery store.”

“Jesus, I really should be up there.”

Emily snorted, “Nah, I … I love, delving into my time periods and chronologies, you know that. Make sure you call though, or I won’t resurface for days.”

“Mhmm,” he hummed.

“Besides … aren’t you going to be on the east coast? For Game Grumps Live?”

“... oh shit yeah,” Dan said, “how did that slip my mind? Jesus fuck.”

“Yeah, and I wouldn’t want to take you from the lovelies - I mean, my second cousin Paul may think I’m a dick but haaa, don’t need millions of fans hating me too,” she laughed.

This time when they hung up, Dan felt almost … relief, but not relief. Because he loved Emily, but there was a familiar rift happening - at least on his side. After almost two decades of dating, and a decade since Melissa, Dan thought he’d be able to fight off his own commitment anxiety - and he would. Because he loved her.

Now if only there was a way his heart could communicate that to his brain because the itch just kept getting worse and worse. 

‘I love you’ became heavy on his tongue, and Dan never said it first anymore. He found himself ending phone calls earlier and earlier, and turning down offers for Emily to come down and visit again. He could hear Emily’s heartbreaking whenever he cut a conversation short but he couldn’t bring his cowardly, grown ass to do the right thing. Until he literally he found himself unable to stop himself, and he hated himself for it.

Because naturally, he wouldn’t be able to last more than a couple weeks after her birthday. 

Dan sat in the back of the tour bus, looking down at his phone blowing up with Emily’s face and the customized ringtone she made for herself. She had complained earlier that it was unfair he was back in Canada just on the wrong end.

“Hey you,” she said sweetly, Dan could hear her puttering around, probably getting food ready or something. When Dan didn’t say anything, she tried again, “Dan?”

“Hi, sorry Em, guess my brain isn’t all here,” he said.

“It’s whatever babe,” she said, “so - ”

“Emily, can we talk?” he interrupted.

He took her silence as a permission to go on.

“Listen I am … I’m really sorry but, but, I think we should break up.”

The silence was deafening. Dan heard the gentle clatter as she put the phone down on the counter, then again when she picked it up. 

“I’m … I’m sorry, but wh - what? I, I - what?”

“I just … I don’t - this isn’t working out on my end, I’m sorry.”

“What’s going on with you?” the concern heavy in her voice, “what’s wrong, you can talk to me.”

“Emily, no,” he said, tone rising, “just, I’m sorry Emily, but we … we need to end this.”

Her lips smacked and she let out a mirthless sigh, “you know what Dan? Just … fuck you”

And just like that, it was over - they were over; and for all the drama that surrounded their getting together a year ago, the break up was surprisingly simple and easy. Leaving Dan ‘commitment-itch’ free.

Except it didn’t feel free.

August turned to September and October crept up and Dan slowly realised that he may have royally fucked up. It wasn’t super noticeable at first, sure he had to reel himself in from calling Emily whenever something interesting or amazing happened; or when a thought popped into his head and he couldn’t fire off a text. He was no longer being bombarded with enthusiasm or a relative history angle. 

This reaction he expected for the first month, but it was a concern and distressing as October rolled around. Between touring with Game Grumps Live and the Ninja Sex Party, Dan was spending a minimal amount of time in his own home. But when he did, he found himself cooking her favourite meals, and preparing hot chocolate the special way she taught him; and while he hadn’t picked up the gross stereotype of spraying her perfume on his pillows and cradling them, Dan would never admit that he had held an old shirt of hers in his hands, getting lost in thought and rubbing the material between his fingers. 

So, of course, Dan’s first attempt to get back to himself was to call up his lady friends who’d had casual sex with him before. Only that didn’t work because he found himself back out at the last minute, and the one time he did progress, she called it off.

Dan ran his lips down the column of her neck, a hand tangled in her long blonde hair when she suddenly pushed him gently at the shoulder to get him off. Dan back off, obviously, but he looked at her hurt and confused.

Lindsay, that was her name, tied up her hair in a bun then slouched over and levelled her gaze with Dan’s.

“Alright,” she said, “you aren’t into this, what’s up?” 

Dan joking gestured at his erection, “I dunno, I’m pretty into it.”

“I mean, yer dicks certainly into it,” exasperation leaking into her voice, “but this isn’t the first time we’ve fucked, am - plus I’ve known you for years so I know when you’re weird.”

Dan sighed and flopped onto his back, “it’s nearing the one year anniversary of me and my last girlfriend. But we didn’t even make it to a year, and we broke up a few months ago, so I know I’m not just being weird.”

“Right, because you bounce back easily,” she said, laying beside him, “fuck man, how’d it go down?”

“I don’t know, standard-ly? I told her I think we should break up - and then we did!” he made an exasperated gesture, “but I miss her still? And like, ‘I’ve gotten over’” he air quoted, “faster, fucking, relationships that made the year mark at least!”

A beat of silence.

“Not to mention she’s fifteen years younger than me!” he exclaimed, “there’s no way she’s as torn up as me - and fucking, it’s not like I expected to marry her or anything.”

“Well, we never mean to fall as hard for the people that we do,” Lindsay said, carding a hand through Dan’s hair, “but also it sounds like you didn’t get proper closure and you should’ve spoken with her about breaking up in depth, at length.”

“I mean … probably, yeah” Dan admitted, “but it’s too late now.”

Lindsay hummed noncommittally, staying to comfort Dan until life called them back. 

* * * 

When Dan walked into the Grump office a week later he knew something was off, it was always off-putting when the office is full, sans Brian as Audrey had a thing for pre-school, but with his six friends huddled together and talking quietly rather than hunched over their individual screens, Dan felt a weight in his gut.

‘Well,’ Dan said uneasy, “I haven’t got high in years and drink approximately two times a year, so this can’t be an intervention.” he chuckled.

The looks on his friends’ faces said otherwise. They all glanced back and forth between Dan and each other, and their unspoken agreement must have nominated Ross because the slight Australian stepped forward.

“Dude, we gotta talk about your break up with Em.”

Dan laughed, “what? Why? There’s nothing to say. We were dating and now we’re not - c’mon guys it’s not like I’m known for my long-term relationships.”

“Yeesh, maybe it is a good thing you two broke up,” Suzy muttered. Dan didn’t take it personally, Emily had made a true friend in Suzy and the latter had been less than pleased when she heard of their break up.

“It’s just … you’ve been weird man,” Barry spoke up, “this one’s affecting you differently, and we think you need to talk about it.”

“Makes sense,” Arin said, “Emily had an effect on you when you started dating, only seems reasonable your break up fucks you up.”

“You never even liked her, man, so shut the fuck up,” Dan snarled. Arin held his hands up taken aback but stayed quiet.

His former roommate wheeled a chair over to Dan and the man slumped down into, swivelling side to side like a schoolboy being scolded by his teacher. The group waited patiently, giving Dan time to think of what he wanted to say, the eldest man wringing his wrists and finally admitting defeat.

“I … I fucked up,” he said simply, “I didn’t break up with her in a complete way, mainly did it for my benefit, and I’m dealing with the consequences of that, I thought it’s what I wanted, but I may regret or … or have lingering feelings but now there’s nothing I can do about it,” it was the first time Dan admitted to regretting dumping Emily, when he looked up he wished he could say he was met with surprised looks, “look, I’m sorry I’ve been off my A-game, just give me some more time - Arin,” he locked eyes with his best friend, “I’m sorry for snapping at you and making you carry me at shows and stuff.”

Arin patted Dan on the shoulder in silent forgiveness. Everyone dispersed once it became clear Dan was done talking about the subject. 

A few hours later Arin stopped by Dan’s desk and handed over a paper neatly folded in thirds. Dan opened it to see a print out of a plane ticket to Victoria for the next morning.

“Arin ...” Dan said softly.

“Trust me, man, I know the look of a man who fucked up something great,” Arin told him solemnly, reminding Dan of just how wise his younger best friend was, “and you need to go fix it.”

The older man stood up and engulfed the younger in his arms, “thank you,” he whispered.

* * *

In hindsight, Dan wished he had gotten a decent night’s sleep at home - since his anxiety barely let him do so on the plane because he left the Victoria airport dazed and confused. Last time he had been here was through connections with Brian, and his best friend dealt with everything, or at least his contacts did, and alone Dan wandered cluelessly.

Luckily he found a shuttle with room and sat at the end of the bus as it made countless stops, with his bag in his lap, thinking about what he was gonna do once he saw Emily. 

Apologise, obviously. Looking back on it Dan didn’t even bother to hear her out when he dropped the bombshell that their relationship was over. And she had tried to help, offering to be a listening ear, like a good girlfriend, but he had let his ego get in the way and his assuredness that ‘of course breaking up is the thing to do’. On top of all that, he was realising, he was Emily’s first, well, everything; and while he had been sulking the way Emily may have been destroyed. Idiot.

But then what? Ask to get back together? Beg? Dan assumed she wouldn’t slam the door in his face, or walk out on him, wherever he’d meet her, but that was up in the air. Again, Dan had no idea if she’d even agree to meet with him. He was in her territory now, and if Emily didn’t want to see him she sure as hell didn’t have to, and Dan didn’t have any allies up here other than her. 

A hot ball of shame settled in his stomach as he whizzed past unfamiliar settings and realised that while Emily had made multiple trips down south during their relationship - enough so that she had study spots and made friends with his friends - Dan had never even met her roommate.

Getting off at the University, he scrolled through his phone to her contact number and tried calling, figuring it was worth a shot.

_ Ring _

_ Ring _

_ Ring _

She didn’t pick up, and to be fair it was a fifty-fifty shot anyways. A part of him wanted to just head back, admit defeat, and deal with the pitying looks from his friends, but he had already made it this far. 

Deciding to give Emily a chance to slam a door in his face, against his better judgement, Dan hailed a taxi and sped through traffic to her apartment. Only to arrive at said apartment and almost immediately slap a palm to his forehead. Because Emily’s grandparents were in the one percent of the world, and she had mentioned after letting her secret out that her grandparents owned the building she lived in which is why two university students could afford to live in a luxury apartment.

There was a doorman who opened let him into the building, but a lobby greeting him done to the nines with a welcome desk and security guards, and he never felt more underdressed in his ripped jeans and leather jacket than in that moment.

Pulling out his wallet, Dan strode to the desk, faking as much confidence as he could muster, and slid his license and passport across the table.

“Hello, I understand this may seem really sketchy but I promise I’m not a crazy man. But I need to see an Emily McLeod, could you possibly tell me which apartment number is hers? Or that impossible.”

The man behind the counter looked up at him unimpressed but glanced over his peace offering nonetheless.

“Any other tenant and I’d laugh you out the door, luckily for you, I know Emily quite well and she’s shown me your picture, Danny.” Dan was taken aback, but figured that, yeah, of course Emily made friends with all the employees that’s how she was, “I’m assuming you’re the reason she’s been moping for the past couple months, and let me tell you boy, either you fix it, or there will be hell to pay,” the man threatened, while still writing down the information, “Emily is a sweet girl who got me this job, everyone in this building loves her,” he said, handing over the sticky note and snatching up Dan’s ID, “and I’m keeping these until she gives me the ok.”

Dan swallowed and nodded, “yes sir, thank you.” 

Emily wasn’t on the top floor, surprisingly, but these were the type of apartments where there was only a handful per floor so, he figured that didn’t matter.

Apartment 501 wasn’t difficult to find, and he only had to knock once before the door flung open.

She looked different. For one, she had chopped off her long hair, so it brushed her shoulders, and instead of a vibrant purple, it was a dark brown - her natural colour. She was obviously about to go out, wearing a wool coat that still needed to be done up and face full of makeup. The weirdest thing for Dan though, was that for the first time since he’s known her, her face didn’t light up when she saw him, instead, she remained expressionless and that hurt more than if she had scowled.

“Hal phoned and said you were here,” she said, stepping aside to let him in, “you came at a bad time, I’m about to go out. But you’re welcome to stay here until I come back.”

“Thanks,” he said, his mouth dry, “look, Em - ”

“Like I said, I’m about to go out, anything you want to say to me can wait till I get back,” she cut him off, “take off your shoes, help yourself, wifi password is on the coffee table - JOSH!” she suddenly screamed, “HURRY UP WE HAVE TO GO.”

A brown haired kid around Emily’s age ambled out of, what Dan assumed, was the direction of the bedrooms - and he was wearing a shirt Dan recognised as his own; Dan felt a white-hot jealous rage overcome him. Josh? As in the same talk wouldn’t stop trash talking their relationship?

At least if Emily was going to move on, she could have at least done so with a decent person.

Though Dan could see why his ex was attracted to the boy. Josh was taller than Em but shorter than Dan, he had one of the trendy hairstyles that were kept coiffed in a way Dan’s own mop could never achieve. He had a jawline straight from a runway and the way he styled his clothes (sans Dan’s shirt) reminded him of the trendy way his sister dressed his nephews. If Arin were here he’d make a joke about letting Josh fuck him, but Dan couldn’t help but find the irony at Emily getting over him with everything Dan wanted to be when he was younger and less confident in himself.

“Holy shit, you’re Danny Sexbang,” the gremlin exclaimed, offering his hand, “my name’s Josh - Jesus it’s so awesome to meet you.” 

The kid had stars in his eyes, which made Dan feel a little bit bad about wanting to punch him in the face. But on the outside, he could be the bigger man.

“Yeah man, it’s nice to meet you too.”

“Emily’ll have to introduce us properly later - ” God Dan hoped not “ - but we gotta head out,” and with that, Josh raced past them.

When Dan turned back to Emily his heart stuttered; she was wearing his NY Giants beanie. At least she didn’t hate him enough to burn anything to do with him.

“Raid the fridge, watch tv, run around streaking I don’t care,” Emily told him indifferently, “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

Nodding, Dan watched the two leave before meandering over to the couch and sitting, numb. Though he had to smile to himself at the paused Game Grumps episode, until he jostled the remote, heard his own voice boom”

_ ‘I don’t know man, commitment makes me itchy’ _ followed by a laugh, and his heart dropped to his stomach, but all he could do was twiddle his thumbs and wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been developing this chapter in my head since before I started writing the story proper, then I actually had to write it and I screamed.


	13. A New Environment for Dan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dan and Emily talk through some stuff.

Dan didn’t know how long he ended up waiting, seeing as he passed out on the couch before Emily got home. He took her up on her offer and helped himself to some of her fruit and ice tea in the fridge, wandered around the common area and took in all the things he had only seen in the background of video calls. Though he had never met Leighla, it was clear whose domain was what, and which rooms had more or less equal influence.

The study, at least what Dan saw when he peered through the wide open door, seemed to be mostly Leighla’s, which was surprising. Working on her Master’s degree, Dan thought that an office space would be perfect for an academic, but instead, he saw a monster computer setup not unlike Barry or Matt or Ryan’s back home. He saw books on game lore mixed in with textbooks on media analysis on the few shelves, and a smaller tv with various consoles - not as impressive as Arin’s, but not bad considering. Nothing about it screamed Emily.

The kitchen, on the other hand, was very much Emily. Every appliance, while modern, fit an antique aesthetic. A recipe box sat on the counter, but atop the fridge sat popular cookbooks mingling with novelty ones claiming recipes from the medieval ages and the eighteenth century. Under one counter was a mini fridge that Dan saw was stocked with Emily’s favourite wines and beside it mini shelves with her beloved novelty wine glasses. A calendar stuck to the fridge door covered in her signature scribbles, marking down papers and appointments, not just for her but for Leighla as well, with big arrows pointing to any day she was free with notes about trying a new recipe. Emily had also converted school pictures of siblings and cousins into magnets to hold up reminders and takeout menus.

Dan was surprised to see Snapdragons in the small bouquets that were everywhere, brightening up the already lively space despite the grey outside, a couple of framed movie posters decorated the walls on either side of the tv, but what really caught Dan’s eye was the smaller photos littering the entire apartment.

Photos of Emily with Leighla and Roe arranged chronologically from high school till the past summer. Leighla looking like a lumberjack and, he assumed her brothers, dressing up as a group for Halloween, it was from some cartoon Dan knew Ross liked but he couldn’t put a name on it. Besides that one, a candid shot of Emily and her brother and sister laughing under a tree, surrounded by fallen leaves. Kyle was in quite a few of them; the one that made Dan chuckle was the two students posing on either side of a poster of Brian, with just the words ‘P-H-D Motherfucker’ pasted onto his bandmate. 

It wasn’t even very late when Dan passed out on the couch, it must have just been the nerves from the past twenty-four hours getting to him. Because one minute he was leaning back on the couch, watching some random playlist to play as background noise, and the next thing he knew Emily was gently waking shaking him away.

When he opened his eyes and saw her above him like an angel, like he had so many times, Dan thought he was dreaming. 

“C’mon,” Emily said, pulling him to his feet, “guess you’re staying in my room tonight.”

“Wha? No, no Em, I - I -” yawn, “I can find a hotel i - i - it’s no problem.”

Emily snorted, “it’s Thanksgiving, it’ll be hard, especially this late.” she shrugged him out of his leather jacket before gently pushing him towards a bedroom. Once instead, Dan staggered to the bed and sat before falling backwards. He faintly noticed that Emily undid and pulled off his pants, but was already on his way back to a deep sleep when he heard the door close.

* * *

Dan woke up to the light glaring through the window, rolled over, and groaned; he started when he realised the bed he laid in was a maroon and not the navy of his own.

Right, he was in Canada.

He sat up, found his glasses, and looked around, Emily’s room was more minimalistic than he remembered from their Skype calls. It looked like it came from a Pinterest board. Cream walls and fairy lights strung up, photos adorned the walls, and a ‘goal board’ he remembered her telling him about.

Apparently, Emily did her best work in her room, if her rolling whiteboard covered in arrows and news clipping was any indication. A corkboard had citation styles and examples above her laptop, but what surprised Dan was the face down frames.

They were pictures of him, which explained why they were face down. Dan tried not to reminisce on the day the strip of photo booth pictures was taken. How Emily had excitedly dragged him to the out-of-date box, and he managed to squeeze in. Or, how upset Emily was after she realised that they hadn’t gotten the classic kissing pose - but they ran out of breath laughing at how ridiculous they made their faces, tears welling in their eyes.

Hearing someone shuffling around the rest of the apartment, Dan slipped his jeans back on, and raced to the bedroom door, hoping Emily was out there. He followed the wall but didn’t find her in the living room. Instead, Leighla sat curled up on the end of the couch, wrapped up in her robe with her slippered feet tucked under her.

The blonde’s eyes snapped up the intruder, “holy, she wasn’t kidding,” Dan heard her say, “well, there’s coffee in the kitchen, help yourself.” she told him gesturing with her own mug. 

He did just that, though after he got there Leighla had to call out to him where everything was.

If Leighla wanted to say something, she wasn’t showing it. Part of what made Dan feel so awkward was the fact that he was ignored; he had prepared himself for yelling and screaming matches or piercing insults thrown his way, but silence he was not expecting. Granted, he also expected to be on his knees begging Emily to forgive him, not twiddling his thumbs with the best friend he wished he had gotten to know better.

“Boy, I swear to God if you don’t stop looking like a tightly strung ball of twine, I will kick you out on the streets,” Leighla said, barely looking up from her phone, “or if you have something to say - say it. Out of all the people in Em’s life. I’m the one you have to fear the least.”

“Really now?” Dan asked sceptically. Knowing Emily, he didn’t think there was anyone not-hardcore in her life.

His questioning was enough to make Leighla look up, “yes,” she said, looking at him like he was an idiot, “Roe was a wrestler in high school and good lord between her and Emily I had to drag them away from so many fights, and two of her closest cousins a - is a firefighter and follows that … workout routine, set, whatever, and b - boxes as a hobby.” She gestured to herself, “I’m like … five toothpicks held together with fucking peanut butter or something,” she shrugged.

“Well, shit,” Dan said, relaxing back into his seat, “you know, I’m sorry I never … made more of an effort to get to know you when Em and I were together.”

“And I would have liked it if you actually came up to visit,” Leighla told him, “Like, does it not … seem … I dunno, wrong to you, that I had to tell you where you where everything in our kitchen was - hell where our kitchen is, meanwhile I’ve had entire Skype calls with Emily while she bakes in yours? I dunno dude.”

Dan had the decency to look properly chastised, “yeah, that’s fair...”

“can ask …” he started slowly, “how good do you think my chances are? Of like … being forgiven? Or -”

“Forgiveness?” Leighla chuckled, “buddy, have you not noticed that Em gives more second chances than are deserved? And always places waaay too much of an importance on how other people feel above herself. You made her openly cry. The last time I actually saw her cry, her sister was in a car accident, and she still gave up her room for you without a thought”

She returned to her phone, letting him stew in thought until the woman in question threw open the front door and could be heard fumbling and shuffling until she appeared around the corner. Her face flush from the cold air and her bun had crazy hat hair probably the product of Dan’s NY Giants beanie in her hands. She had curled her hands into the sleeves of her sweater, trying to warm up

Emily shuffled across the floor to the kitchen in her slippers, grumbling under her breath. “Fuck this chill,” she said, flipping on the electric kettle, “can eat my ass fucking cold ass elements damn it”.

“That’s my cue to leave,” Leighla muttered, rising from her seat. She blew a kiss at Emily, saying as she passed something about meeting someone for lunch so she’d be out of their hair in a bit.

Dan kept awkwardly sitting in the armchair, frozen in fear. Leighla was scary enough with her snappy comments, Emily was the one he hurt and he didn’t know how to approach.

“So how’s school coming along?” Dan asked, immediately regretting the small talk route.

Emily came over and took Leighla’s place on the couch with her hot cocoa piled high with whipped cream.

“I hate everything and I can’t wait to take down all that shit in my room,” she sighed with a smile, “oh! and, I heard Under the Covers two man, it, it sounds amazing.”

“Thanks,” Dan said, “yeah Brian, Brian told me you texted him. But yeah, we’re so happy it’s finally out.”

“And you should it’s really good,” Emily told him, “we’ve been playing around the apartment, and I play it at the ‘office’ at school. ” Dan blushed and looked bashful, “I wanted to call and congratulate you but, y'know, didn’t know how you’d feel about that.”

Emily took a sip from her mug. Dan could tell she was appreciating the how she was in control of the conversation.

“If you’re here to apologise there’s no need Dan,” she shrugged, “I’ve already worked through all my feelings and shit, and I’m sorry you wasted a trip.”

Dan shifted in his seat, “I still need to say sorry regardless, I just … I don’t know what I need, but I needed to see you.”

“Y’know, you really really didn’t,” Emily argued, “I really didn’t need you to. I don’t know what you need, but I know that I absolutely didn’t need you coming all the way up here to rub salt on a wound that I’ve already worked on getting over.”

“Can I still just say I’m sorry?” Dan pleaded, “I’m sorry that I broke up with you in a pretty heartless way, which I realised … after. And I’m sorry for not putting in the same amount of effort that you did when we were dating, like,” Dan gestured around the room, “you took over a drawer at my place, and I’ve never been here before? That’s some bullshit on my part. So I’m sorry, and I want to be your boyfriend again,” that had Emily doing a double-take, “but I know that’s stupid, and I have no right-”

“Yeah, you don’t,” Emily said, effectively shutting him down and pausing to put her glass down, “that being said, just because you said some stupid shit  doesn’t mean I’m gonna put you out on your ass, so how long should I be expecting you to be here?” 

* * *

Dan ended up staying another full day and having to catch a flight out in the early afternoon the day after. The day he was in Victoria Emily took the skipped her day’s classes, waving Dan off when he asked if it was okay.

“One day won’t kill my GPA, and even if it does it won’t be that bad.”

Emily spent the day taking Dan to all the touristy places around downtown. Walks along the harbour, historic buildings, and street artists. She took him to her self-proclaimed favourite restaurants and coffee shop/study places, where he noted that waiters and baristas treated her as a friend. They stopped by a bookstore that featured a local comic strip artist that Emily knew because of course she did. Dan suggested the museum, admittedly more for her sake, but he followed along as she dragged him through the building, pointing out items she specifically knew miscellaneous facts about, and the mini-documentaries in the attached movie theatre.

“You could have left me at the apartment,” Dan said as they stopped by the woolly mammoth, “so … I really appreciate you showing me around.”

“Despite our complicated relationship, I’m proud of my city and all she holds,” Emily said, the pride evident in her voice, “it wouldn’t be fair to you to not see it.”

Dan smiled down at her, fighting the urge to wrap an arm around her and lean over to plant a kiss on her forehead. He’d spent the whole time they were wandering trying not to hold her hand.

Before he knew what was happening, Emily grabbed his sides and pushed him in front of the beast, taking a step back with her phone out.

“Did you really come to the Victoria Museum if you don’t get a picture with the mammoth?” she joked, snapping away at Dan. He took a few nice ones, and of course a lot of silly ones to share online.

Dan scrolled through the pictures while he waited on the steps of the university for Emily to come outside. She had originally wanted to take the day off to spend it with him, take him around the town some more, but his flight wasn’t until after her class was done anyways; so he sent her off that morning with coffee and a bagel and got all his things together.

“Boo!” Dan heard Emily’s voice from behind him, right as he felt her hip bump into his.

“Heeey,” he said, wrapping an arm around her for a quick squeeze, “class was good?”

Emily plastered on a plastic smile, “I don’t know how much you know about history,” Emily said through clenched teeth “people have always been people, and if you can’t accept human nature get the fuck out of my class.”

Dan chuckled and sympathetically patted her on the shoulder.

“So Kyle just had to borrow my car to go … I don’t know, rob a bank or something?” Emily told him, “but I told him to be back in time for us to go or I’m gonna kill him.”

“Shit, harsh.”

“Yup,” she said, popping the P, “I dunno what to tell you, I got shit to do, places to be.”

Almost like he heard them, Kyle came around the corner and pulled up in front of them. 

“M’lady,” Kyle said, tossing the keys at Emily. She just shook her head and popped open the trunk for Dan’s duffel bag.

Dan said a quick goodbye to Kyle with a firm handshake, but quickly ducked into the car to avoid Kyle glared at him, which is all the younger man did the few times they had met. And Dan tried to keep his envy at bay while overhearing the two make plans for after Emily came back from dropping Dan off. 

The drive to the airport was filled with background music and small conversation that was interrupted with Emily cursing the air blue.

“So, Danny,” Emily started, not taking her eyes off the world, “I just, uhm, I just wanted to say thank you, I guess,” Dan looked at her but Emily wouldn’t even glance his way, “I dunno, you didn’t have to fly up here just to apologise - a phone call would have sufficed so … thank you, for making that extra effort.”

Dan rested a hand on her shoulder, then yanked it back, “it was the least I can do after what I did.”

Emily hummed and stayed silent for another minute, “in case it wasn’t obvious, I never stopped being in love with you,” she told him, making Dan still with shock, “like, yeah, you stopped loving me, but I’m young and emotional, and you never,” she snorted, “left my heart, or whatever. So when I say, thank you, for making me feel better, I mean it. Thank you.”

Dan was speechless as they pulled up to the airport. Emily popped the trunk so Dan could get his things and met him on the 

“And, uhm, if you meant it, or, maybe still wanted to get together again?” Emily said, fighting to look at the older man, “I wouldn’t, uh, be opposed to that … I mean, I miss us.” she shrugged.

It took a couple of seconds for Dan to realise what Emily had said and then did what he had wanted the past couple days, and he stepped toward her and wrapped his arms around her; the crushing hug he had been holding back. But he felt Emily’s arms squeeze him back, and for the first time in weeks, he felt okay again. 

  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did NOT mean for there to be a 4mo hiatus but thats the way the cookie crumbles when school wants you dead my b


	14. Meet the Family pt.1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Emily's back in Scotland, and her cousins finally meet her man.

_Christmas 2017_

“What a cute romantic gesture!”

“Very little romance actually happened, Kat - ”

“Would’ve been more romantic if he hadn’t been a dipshit in the first place.”

“Bro, he made a mistake - ”

“He’s a grown man, and should fucking act like it -”

“Liam! Tell your brother to calm down, it’s Em’s life, not his and -”

“Nah, Rob’s right -”

“Let’s be real, who’s gonna look out for her like me?”

“Wow, why do I tell the lot of you _anything?_ ” Emily asked the group.

Back in Scotland for the annual Christmas trip, and she had decided to share the details of her and Dan getting back together with her cousins. Of course, Robert was unamused - she had had to talk him down from flying to America when Dan broke up with her in the first place. His youngest brother Darren was more sympathetic to both Dan and Emily, but the middle child of the three brothers, Liam, was siding with his eldest brother. Their other cousin Jennifer would come and go as she pleased between the groups of older and younger cousins - but when she heard Emily was talking about Danny she and Emily’s sister, Katherine, planted themselves on the floor.

“You tell us things because you can’t keep anything to yourself,” Robert told her with a roll of his eyes, “and you value our opinion despite how much you bitch.”

She threw her hands up, “well shit dude, if you’re going to call me out on it.”

“But it was a romantic gesture,” Katherine insisted, “like he crossed borders to apologise in person, she emphasised, “and spend a couple days getting to know all about you.”

“Fuck I was so awkward though,” Emily moaned sinking into the couch, “like … more awkward than I should have been considering I’ve seen his dick -”

“LA LA LA,” Robert yelled, plugging his ears, “Not hearing this! You are young and have never had a sex ever! Nuh-uh!”

Emily just shared a look with the girls and Darren and they collectively rolled their eyes.

“Regardless of whether or not you want to accept that I'm not a child,” Emily said with a pointed look, “just … we used to have this … intimacy y’know? A familiarity. But nooo, I was fucking awkward and quiet the entire time? Fuck man, I was _polite,_ it was _weird_ and - and - just fuck, I suck. Plus!” she shot up, “our relationship is in a weird place now? And I _haaaate_ it, okay? I fucking hate it. And like, like, we were never like that before?” she flopped over against Darren’s side, “just … I don’t … I don’t know, fucking end me, fuck it, who knows. Adult relationships are hard.”

Right at that moment, her phone went off with the man of the hour’s face popping onto her screen.

“Hey, you,” Emily said, getting off the couch and stepping away from her cousins.

“OOOHHHH!” Jennifer, Katherine, and Darren cheered as she stepped out, Robert rolled his eyes, and Liam adopted a steely look.

She flipped them off from the door frame, stepping to the side and leaning up against the wall,  “I’m going to kill my family,” she groaned.

“Now, if you did that who would you talk about? At length,” Danny laughed, “but yeah, I hear you. Debbie and Avi decided to make Hanukkah this year a community event … and they didn’t tell me about it until I got here.”

“Oh no, honey!” Emily said, “is it at least all nice people? What about Mrs Bissinger? I know you love her poppyseed bread.”

“She stopped by, but already left to visit her son in New York,” Dan sighed, “left some damn good bread though. But yeah, no, it’s freezing and I’m currently standing outside to avoid another one of my father’s stuck up friends asking what I’m doing with my life, and When will I get a real job? When am I coming home with a wife and kids y’know? It’s infuriating.”

Emily’s eyes widened at the mention of kids but refused to let her voice betray, “I usually just tell people I’m focusing on my education?”

“Yeah, I used to do that!” Dan said, “then I hit thirty and that stopped being an acceptable excuse.” he sighed.

“Someone sounds _bitter,_ ” she sang, making them both laugh, “but if it helps…I know Robert likes to go into detail about how he’s focusing on his career? You can always go into detail of how you’re building your brand,” Emily suggested.

That got a laugh out of Dan, “pfft, that sounds way more serious than I think I can handle.”

“NSP is a brand my dude. The trick to dealing with stuck up asswads is wording in ways that they deem acceptable.”

“I’ll consider it.”

“And then doing better than they expected ultimately proving you have more power than they do,” Emily quipped, “lemme tell you, it’s a lot of fun when people don’t know who my grandparents are.”

That brought a loud belly laugh out of Dan that made Emily lighting up.

“Whooo, wow, yeah I’m sure that gets ‘em,” Dan said as he calmed down, “but I’ve bitched enough, how was your ball?”

“Uh, well it hasn’t happened yet, but in a couple days I get to play Disney princess so, that’s always fun,” she told him, “honestly, I wish you were here. It’d make it more bearable.”

“ _Wish you were here,_ ” Dan sang quietly.

“stooop,” Emily whined, “you aren’t allowed to sing cheesy songs when I can’t, can’t smother you with a pillow in retaliation or … something.” They laughed.

Her voice floated down the hall back in the living room where the rest of the cousins had dispersed. Well, Katherine went to make popcorn, and Darren with her to mooch some off his baby cousin, and Jennifer went to bother the youngest cousins off somewhere playing video games. But Liam noticed his eldest brother across the room with an idea in his eyes and started preparing for whatever adventure he was about to join.

* * *

“Y’know, now that we’re here, I don’t think this is the best idea you’ve ever had dude,” Liam said as they drove through the new city.

“Well, you should have thought of that before you got on the plane,” Robert said dismissively, gulping down his extra-large coffee.

They were in New Jersey. Being driven through the snow at seven am. Robert couldn’t bring himself to care about any doubts his little brother may have been stewing over on the seven-hour flight across the pond.

“The way I see it,” Robert said, “we bring Danny back with us, Em’s happy because she gets to see her boyfriend, they have a heart to heart or some shit, and if he doesn’t fuck up again and this continues we have a non-intimidating way of showing the guy what he’s getting into.”

“But like, what if I _wanted_ to intimidate him?” Liam said. He was still suspicious of all his family’s partners since his own disastrous breakup the year before.

Robert looked at how defiant Liam was and sighed.

“Alright look, if Dan turns out to be a gold-digger I promise you can get the first punch in,” he reassured his brother, “but honestly, he comes off more as a dumbass, more than some nefarious mastermind.”

Liam just crossed his arms and sat back.

The car pulled up to a house, Robert said a quick prayer for this to be the correct house, and they marched up to the door with gifts in hand. Liam opted to let his brother take the lead, and got ready to put on a steely gaze, depending on who answered.

It wasn’t Dan who answered though, so Liam quickly schooled his features to something more friendly. The woman who answered was probably the mom, at least what Robert guessed at a glance.

“Good morning ma’am,” Robert said, extending a hand, “we apologise for the intrusion so early. My name is Robert, and this is my brother Liam,” he gave a little wave, “we were just wondering if you could spare your son for a few moments.” He gave her his best company smile that turned genuine when she invited them in from the cold.

Dan stood at the top of the staircase, still in his pyjamas, and couldn’t stop himself from openly staring at the two serious looking Scots at his door.

* * *

Emily’s collapsed in a chair next to Nicholas and glared at him.

“Dude, why do I have to schmooze while you get to sit on your ass and play on your phone? I wasn’t allowed to sit around when I was your age, plus?” she exclaimed, “I’m not even involved with the company.”

Her brother shrugged, not looking away from his phone, “phones didn’t exist when you were a kid? I dunno.”

“Apparently great aunt Ruth was trying to push you onto ‘eligible bachelors’ or whatever,” their cousin Hayley said, also playing around on her phone, “something about how … fuck, if you weren’t going to join the company you had to … had to secure its future or something”

“Goddammit. Fuck the old hag.” she mumbled, taking a swig from her champagne flute and subtly bending down to rub her heels that were starting to hurt in the five-inch heels, “this is why Grandma Peggy took over officially, not that bitch.”

The entire family had made their way down to London for some annual charity gala, and while Emily would never admit she got a thrill when all eighteen of the McLeod clan walked through the doors, and everyone already in the venue was somewhat in awe. Even if this time they were sixteen instead of eighteen since Liam and Robert had mysteriously vanished a couple days ago and no one was telling her what was going on.

“You doing alright there?” Darren said, coming up behind the siblings, patting a hand on Emily and Nicholas’ shoulders. Nick shrugged him off, but Emily looked up with a pained look on her face.

“Did you know Ruth was trying to force me onto men way back when?” Emily asked.

“We all knew, Peggy got into a screaming match with her about it,” Darren told her.

“I love that woman,” she said simply, “but anyways am I ever going to figure out what happened to your brothers, or are they dead on the side of the road somewhere?”

He waved her off, tucking his phone into his pocket, “they should be showing up soon.”

The event they were at, under the guise of a charity gala, was really a chance for influential persons and families from the UK and even parts of Western Europe to show up and network. Emily’s grandma and grandpa enjoyed tearing down the politicians trying to buy company support. Robert, Darren, and Liam, as the ones set to take over eventually, were great at convincing other companies that Duncan Ltd. was in good hands, and no: their grandmother’s family had built the company from the ground up and there were no plans to eventually change the name. And while she, personally, doesn’t flaunt it, there is a picture of her with the two Princes from years back, so it’s not like these events were the absolute worst.

Suddenly a pair of hands reached around her head, covering her eyes, and the only reason she didn’t break their wrists was that if it was a dangerous person, security and Darren would have had them on their ass before they got to her.

“Guess who?” said a very obviously altered, high-pitched voice. But Emily knew that cologne anywhere.

“Ooh baby, don’t let my boyfriend know,” she said, leaping to her feet and looking up at her six-foot-two love. Dan placed a hand over his heart, faking scandalisation, but grinned when Emily jumped up and wrapped both arms around him.

“If I didn’t know how extreme my cousins can be,” she told him, keeping an arm around his waist, “I’d question what you’re doing here.”

“Yeah, yeah, well, about ten hours ago a couple of Scottish gents came to my door and convinced me to get on a plane with them,” Dan said.

“And it didn’t take too much convincing either,” Liam said with a clap on the shoulder.

Hayley looked up, “you just … you … got on a plane with two strangers you’ve never met before … dude, I pray for your parents’ sanity,” Hayley said before turning back to her phone. Dan threw his head back and laughed.

“Yeah, that’s fair.”

“Alright, so, you already know Liam and Rob, but this is their brother Darren” Emily started, said man extending a hand, “the gremlins on their phones are my baby bro, Nick, the smartass is our cousin Hayley,” she ruffled Nick’s hair and the couple chuckled when the teen only showed annoyance, “the girl racing over now is Katherine-”

“I remember these two from the picture around the condo,” Dan piped up. Katherine had hiked up her baby pink gown to all but run to the newcomer and offer her hand.

“Oh my God, oh my God, hi. I’m Katherine McLeod the little sister, I’ve heard so much about you,” she gushed, then glared down at her younger brother, flicking his temple, “Hayley, _Nicholas,_ ” she hissed, “don’t be _rude._ ”

The two youngest cousins finally looked up, Nicholas glaring at his sisters, but both shook Dan’s hand as well before escaping to another table to avoid socialisation. Robert and Liam also excused themselves to go around the room to shake hands and apologise for their tardiness.

“Jen and Han are … hanging out with their friends and James-he’ll be excited to meet you,” Emily said, scanning the room, “and all the parents-slash-grandparents are … milling about, they’ll come eventually.”

“Sweet,” Dan said with a small nod, “so, unless you have a previous commitment, the band is playing and I would like to ask you onto _ze_ dance floor.”

Emily smiled and put her hand in his, motioning with her free hand for him to lead the way. They took their place amongst the middle-aged and elderly couples swaying to whatever old-school ballad the band was covering.

“So, I had to learn this shit when I was like, eleven,” Emily said quietly, “what's your excuse?”

“High school,” Dan said with a slight shudder, “we were the one class the school decided to do something different. Try ‘something new’ so we did one session of different classical dance for a couple of weeks.”

“and you remembered it for twenty years?” Emily questioned, raising an eyebrow.

“Wow, you really have so little faith in me and my memory that you would _accuse_ me of, of stating such falsehoods? Relationships are built on _love_ and _trust_ y’know, and-and- yeah maybe I also did some googling on the plane,” he admitted.

Emily threw her head back in laughter, not caring about the looks she attracted - everyone had had more than enough champagne.

They danced some more, Emily took him to meet her parents (Dad gave a firm handshake, but mom had murder in her eyes), and Dan watched Emily artfully sidestep their associates’ thinly veiled jibes. Jibes that did stop though, as soon as the matriarch of the family came over.

“My Emily is doing so well with her studies, yes?” the elderly woman said, levelling a look at a man of similar age, “please remind me again, how is Jason’s schooling going? He’s studying finances and management is he not?”

Dan had never someone go from haughty to mortified so quickly, nor run away with his tail between his legs like this before, and he had never seen a grandmother as badass as his own.

(He would later find out that the old man was a Mr Ainsley, the head of Duncan Ltd’s biggest competition, and the Jason in question was _his_ grandson, who was expelled and impregnated three different women during a six-month party binge across Eastern Europe.)

But eventually the night wound down, and the younger McLeod’s had to carry their youngest and corral the parents into the cars to take them back to the airport, where almost everyone fell asleep as soon as the plane took off.

Emily felt Dan’s head drop to her should and linked their hands together.

“Hey, Dan?” Emily whispered, “thanks for flying out babe, you … you really made tonight a lot more fun than it’s ever been and-” She was interrupted by light snoring.

She turned her head slightly and saw Dan’s eyes shut and his mouth ajar. Emily chuckled and fumbled with her clutch in an effort to grab her phone. She planted a kiss on top of his head and snapped a picture, sending it to him for when he woke up.

“Love you too sweetheart,” she murmured, uncapping a water bottle and plugging into her favourite playlist.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I ... love writing Robert and the rest of Emily's family so much.
> 
> So. Much.


	15. Big News

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day after the party. Big news from back home means changes for Emily and Dan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm leaving for a trip tomorrow and I wanted to make sure I got this up before then :) (this is also why it's shorter than normal)

Emily woke up first. She rolled over, kissed the corner of Dan’s mouth and crawled out of bed as softly as she could. She tiptoed over to her dresser, picking up and folding Dan’s clothes as she went, before slipping into a pair of sweatpants and a cardigan over her tank top and made her way to the kitchen. A few members of the family were zipping in and out as their day got started. She popped a couple of waffles into the toaster and started on a cup of coffee when Robert waltzed in, ready for a quick and casual day in a button-up and slacks.

She sprinkled chocolate chips over the sprinkles when they came out, but Robert snatched one out of her hands and took a bite.

“You got balls kid,” Emily said sarcastically, “die.”

Robert grinned but handed it back, “and after I brought you your boyfriend and everything.”

“I mean, I appreciate it, jackass,” she said, “but I … don’t remember asking you to do that.”

“Yeah yeah,” Robert said, waving a hand at her, ”just .. talk your issues out so I don’t have to listen to you bitch until you go home.

“Fuuck,” Emily groaned, “I’m  _ sick  _ and  _ tired _ of talking, That’s all we fucking do for fuck's sake, and I don’t want to anymore, okay? We have talks about the breakup, talks about  _ why  _ he broke up with me, how he felt, how I felt - like? I’m twenty-three, can’t I just have fun in my relationship? Or is that not allowed?”

Robert said nothing, but he peered at her over his coffee mug; years of advice came across in his pointed look. Emily frowned at him.

“If something happens, I am never speaking to you again.”

He said nothing, but his eyebrows raised and he grinned as he left the room. 

Emily rolled her eyes and turned to where she had left her phone to charge on the counter. She had one new message that had come in earlier that morning.

_ Dr Colin Bright _ _  
_ _ 4:37 am _

_ Check ur email _

She shot back a quick: ‘wow that’s not ominous or anything’ but did as her mentor said anyways. There was only one, new unexpected email (an ex-classmate didn’t understand  _ vacation  _ and wouldn’t stop badgering her), but regardless of what she expected, she didn’t expect an email from the admissions office of Berkeley. 

Especially not an acceptance letter. Emily immediately called Colin.

“Hello?” he answered, obviously jarred from sleep.

“Colin, Colin, what the fuck man! What is this?” Emily yelled into the phone/

“Dear, it’s one am, you woke me up,” Colin explained patiently.

“I  _ know  _ for a  _ fact _ that I did not apply to Berkeley so why is there an acceptance letter in my inbox, telling me to await a proper hard copy in the mail, and that I need to send over transfer papers and transcripts a-sap?” she demanded.

“Right,” Colin grunted, presumably sitting up, “so, the university is opening up a new, small campus emphasizing Doctorates programs, and they sent out inquiries to those of us with tenure if we had anyone we wanted to recommend - so I applied for you,” he said simply. As if he didn’t just tell her that he got her into the best school in North America.”

“But...but I’m not even at my doctorate yet?” 

“I’ve told you many times you can streamline or pass over your Masters. Did you really need to interrupt my sleep to hear this again?”

“You once got together with Matthew from Archaeology and called me at three-a.m. to discuss erotic Moche pottery. On my birthday,” Emily deadpanned.

“It’s fascinating.”

“I was  _ drunk _ . But this is beside the point - the point is...what do I do?” she asked.

“Well, I’ll look into your transcripts tomorrow, everything you need to transfer,”  _ yawn _ “and when you get back you can sign off on everything before you send it in,” he said plainly.

“Oh-okay,” Emily said, a little dumbfounded, “thanks, I’ll be in by the end of the week. Square everything away.”

“Good. I’m going back to sleep now,” Colin told her.

“Yeah, alright, I’ll see you ‘round.”

The line clicked off and Emily collapsed onto a bar stool.

* * *

When Dan woke up hours later he was disappointed that Emily wasn’t in bed with him, but quickly understood why when he saw what time it was. By the time he found his way around the ornate hallways and staircases, he found a lone woman, Emily’s aunt … Linda? Leaning against the kitchen counter alone.

“Good morning … ” Dan trailed off, not wanting to offend her.

“Lorraine Lewis, call me Lo,” she said, bringing down a mug and pouring coffee before offering it to Dan, “my nieces call my aunt Lolly, but I’m just under ten years older than you so - please don’t.”

He held one hand up, “don’t worry, my nephews call me uncle Danosaur so I get it.”

The two chuckled and Dan tried to will his coffee to wake him up faster.

“Speaking of nieces, Em should be in her greenhouse,” she said, pointing to a blue door that led outside, “she’ll spend hours out there if no one stops her.”

Dan raised a surprised eyebrow but followed her finger out the blue door.

Luckily there was a stone path to lead him initially but was soon surrounded by trellis arches, and the edges of the lawn had been lined with flower beds and the odd tree - all empty with the season, but Dan could imagine what it would look like in the summer. At the end a was a mahogany, hexagonal structure full of green and someone moving around inside.

“Em!” he called out, pushing open the door gently, “Em?”. He was grateful for the fact that the greenhouse was warmer than outside. While Scotland winters weren't as frigid as New Jersey winters, he had still gone outside in only a t-shirt and jeans in his hunt for his girlfriend.

Emily peaked around the table running down the centre and grinned, “hey you!” she exclaimed, quickly crossing the space, scrambling to put down her watering can and taking off her gloves while she was doing it.

“Good morning you,” she said before pulling him down for a kiss. She felt Dan’s smile against her lips and couldn’t hold back her giggles when she tried to pull away and he brought her back for second, third, fourth time. 

With his arms resting on Emily’s shoulders and his hands clasped behind her head, Dan asked: “I can’t get away with being upset you weren’t in bed with me when it’s almost time for dinner, can I?”

Emily chuckled and shrugged, “hey, I’m not going to tell you how to feel your emotions, but _ I _ am used to GMT time now. You’re welcome to try though” she said, tucking her fingers under his t-shirt and stroking her thumbs along his hips.

Dan threw his hands in the air, “what’s the point of you being my girlfriend if you won’t validate me? Geez,  _ Lou- _ ise.”

Emily threw her head back in laughter and pulled Dan closer and wrapped her arms around him, and Dan took delight in feeling her body shake with laughter against his. 

She pressed a few gentle, quick kisses to the base of his neck, “I’ve missed you, sweetheart, like a lot,” Emily let a slight pause hang in the air, intending segue into her news; but Dan filled the silence himself.

“I love you and I’ve missed you,” Dan said kissing her forehead, “and as much as I want to push you against one of these glass walls and make out like the horny teenager I am,” Emily snorted, “is that an  artemisia glacialis, you have over there? ”

Dan untangled himself and walked towards the plant, Emily following him hand in hand.

“You mean the glacier wormwood?” she asked once she was the flower in the question, Dan unable to see the smirk on her face.

“Fuck man,” Dan said looking at it with a tinge of wonder in his voice, “when I was studying flora way back in the Alps our teacher tried to take us out to find one of these and we couldn’t - they’re pretty decently rare, I always wanted to see one”

Emily leaned against the table the potted plant was sitting on and looked at him, “One, you’re a fucking nerd, and two, I know, that’s why it’s here.”

Dan looked down at her in shock.

“I don’t, I don’t fucking deserve you. You bought and are growing a plant that I  _ must have _ off-handedly mentioned, what were you going to do with it if I hadn’t come out?”

She smiled, “this guy was gonna come home with me this year, be a belated Hanukkah present.”

Emily had to brace herself against the table because as soon as the words left her mouth Dan had her face cupped in his hands. He kissed her in an entirely new way, softer but with more passion, as if he was trying (and failing) told hold something back. Emily pulled back, Dan trying to follow as she cleared a spot, spun them around to push Dan into sitting so she could slide in between his legs. Dan pulled her closer and leaned in to capture Emily’s lips once more, smiling at her hum of contentment. She parted her lips slightly, allowing his tongue to slip inside meanwhile slipping her hands back under his shirt, tapping her fingers on his waist. 

Suddenly the door swung open with a crash, “hey! My eyes are covered but whatever you kids are doing - you better stop!” a voice, Liam,  shouted from the door, “and nan says dinners in a bit,” and the door quietly shut again.

Dan had buried his head in her chest in embarrassment when the Liam barged, but he looked up at Emily who was looking up herself with an annoyed expression on her face.

Emily scoffed, “I mean, you’re older than Liam, but okay, whatever, dickweed,” she muttered, taking a step back and offering a hand to help Dan scoot off the table.

* * *

“You’ve killed me!” Emily called out from the bed, “it’s a happy death, but you’ve ended me!”

The sounds of the last of the bath water draining were followed by Dan exiting the ensuite bathroom smirking (‘ _ a smirk well-deserved’ Emily thought to herself _ ) and picking up the clothes they had hastily thrown once the night quieted down and the couple found themselves finally alone.

“My dick has magical murdering properties?” Dan gasped, “I’ll have to be more careful with the thing from now on.”

Emily swatted at his stomach and pulled him into bed beside her, propping herself on her elbow “and wipe that smirk off your face,” she said.

“Is it bad that I’m upset the bath bomb thing didn’t react with the jets and explode into a million bubbles? I wanted to relive the time my sister put dish soap in the dishwasher” Dan muttered.

Emily laughed, “man, me too,” she said, making Dan snort in amusement, “death by bubbles is honestly the best way to go.”

“Well, we wouldn’t die.”

“Hey there mister supportive boyfriend, back my dreams!”

“Dying via bubble is a bona fide dream huh?”

“Your mockery is slowly chipping away at my self-esteem.”

“It’s fine, I’ll still love you when you’re a husk.”

That made Emily blush and shake her head, Dan had always enjoyed the fact that a year into their relationship a compliment could still turn her into a tomato and his smugness radiated off him. Her thoughts were interrupted, however, by a loud chirping of Dan’s phone coming from the side table behind him. Judging by his deep sigh it was something weighing on his mind, but not wanting to push she simply hummed, letting him decide how or if he wanted to explain.

“Barry’s been talking about leaving Grumps to work on solo stuff,” Dan said after a couple minutes, “and no, surprise, the talks of us finding new living spaces and ...”

“Ah.”

“I’m happy for the guy, hell we all are - and it’s not like I hate the idea of having a place to myself it’s just …  it’s still just … I dunno,” Dan sighed.

“Barry’s always been there,” Emily offered, “since Arin started the channel, since before you got there. And when a constant becomes a variable, even if it’s good for them, it’s still unsettling. I can’t think of one person who wholeheartedly  _ enjoys  _ change _ ,  _ more often than not it’s people who are willing to tolerate it more than anything. Expect it, even, but never actually like.it”

“Yeah … yeah, I guess,” he conceded, turning on his side to look her in the eye, “though I’m not sure how I feel about you using words like ‘variable’ as easy as Brian does while we’re in bed together.”

Emily laughed, making Dan join in and her heart swell.

_ ‘A more perfect segue will never present itself,’  _ Emily thought to herself as they settled down.

“So that all being said,” she started, “does this mean you’re in the market for a new roommate then eh?”

“Maybe, why?”

“Colin got me into this program … in LA, and I’ll be needing to move down,” she said. When Dan didn’t immediately reply Emily got nervous and sped up, “or, I mean, it’s totally cool if not, I know we’re still coming back from that weird place as a couple, so maybe it is better if we don’t live together and, uhm, and I don’t want you to feel forced or rushed or, or, or,”

Danny gently shushed her and put a finger up against her lips that Emily licked in retaliation.

“Gross!” he moaned, wiping his finger on his pant legs, “but I disagree-”

“Do you now?” Emily said, plopping back on her back and turning her head to face him.

“Honestly Em, I’m done letting the little, fucking demon in me clench up at the idea of being in love with you,” Dan said, quite seriously-catching Emily by surprise, “I love you and the idea of you living in LA and  _ not _ living with me just doesn’t sound right.”

Emily just looked at him smiling, and then flipped for her back to face him while exclaiming “good night!”

Dan made flabbergasted sounds, poking at his girlfriend’s back until she turned her head to look at him over her shoulder.

“You already know how much love you dumbass,” she said, grabbing his arm and draping it around her waist, “let me be a flustered, lovesick dork for once..”

Dan chuckled, reaching back to the nightstand to turn off the lamp and tightening his grip on Emily’s waist, bringing her closer to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So ... I have an idea of where this story is going to end, but I'm currently torn about when I want to end it? There are a few things I want to put in there, more adventures I want to send these guys on (I've been working on these OCs for like ... 3yrs lord help me), but I don't ... idk I don't want it to drag? I usually get no interaction on aaycw but would y'all rather see this wrapped in a few more chapters or carry on longer?


	16. Breaks in Routine

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Life changes even more so for Emily as she settles in LA life, and an old antagonist resurfaces.

“I  _ cannot _ believe you’re abandoning me for some dude! Does our decade of friendship mean nothing to you?” Leighla yelled.

Emily looked down at her best friend.

“Absolutely not, our friendship has run its course,” she said cooly, “please pack your knives and go.”

Leighla frowned up at Emily from where she was crouching, with an arm over the box flaps and the other holding her hand out, “just pass me the tape jackass.”

Emily’s room had never been so barren. She had spoken with her grandparents and they agreed that Leighla was close enough to be family that she would continue to live in the apartment rent free, but was welcome to take in another roommate - and if so college kids didn’t usually have nice furniture. So the bed, dresser, vanity, and the like were all being left behind but the photos, souvenirs, decorative lights were all taken down, and her whiteboard had already been shipped down to L.A.; all but a few traces of her person gone from the room.

“Good God, do you remember moving into here?” Emily asked her best friend as she packed more clothes into her suitcases, “like … we were so worried it’d never be home because we’d never fill all the space.”

Leighla grunted from the floor, trying to push a heavy box of clothes out the door with her feet, “and somehow you ended it up with more shit than a hoarder”.

Emily flicked Leighla’s head while trying not to knock her on the head with the suitcase wheels, “this is just one room, I gave you the office.”

Leighla flipped her the bird but was too busy chugging water and trying to catch her breath - the entire past week torn between cursing Emily for moving in the late spring when it was hot out or thanking her for doing it before the sticky summer set in. 

“And!” Emily called after her, “I did take a bunch of shit down when I was visiting Dan for his birthday a few months back, so this isn’t even that much.”

“The cardboard has cut me  _ six. times, _ ” Leighla said holding up her hand, “you try and tell me this isn’t that much I swear to God you’ll see how much more effective these damn boxes are than a fucking broadsword.”

“Death by a thousand cuts wasn’t actually a thing,” Kyle said strolling in with a brief, and useless, two knocks against the door, “and I wouldn’t put it past Robert to like … I don’t know evict you if you purposely try to cut Em.”

“Nah, it’s cool,” Leighla said waving him off, “Darren and I bros. If he’s willing to join me on my weekly streams he’ll defend my honour”. Kyle snorted, prompting the two to start pelting the other with small projectiles.

Emily shook her head and tried not to think about how much she’d miss this.

“Alright assholes, let’s get all this shit down to the truck,” she said loudly, rallying her friends, “we gotta get out here so I can make my flight, and so Ky can donate these before the place closes.”

Just under two thousand kilometres away and seven hours later Emily landed in Los Angeles ready to collapse. But she made it through customs, through all the legal jargon with her study visa, through countless long lines that she thanked years of travel experience to get her through it all on autopilot. 

She thanked Dan’s ever-growing hair for acting like a beacon and shuffled into his arms. 

“Will you still love me if I make you dramatically dip me and say, ‘take me home my love’?” she asked, voice just above the noise of the airport.

Dan chuckled and squeezed her tighter in his arms, “no,” he said simply, getting a swat against his chest and Emily’s body rumbling against his with laughter. He guided her over to the luggage carousel where they waited and Emily bemoaned her heavy backpack and entertained the thought of leaving her three-ton baggage at the airport.

“So I hope you aren’t too tired,” Dan said later, pulling into their driveway, “I have some welcome home plans all prepared.”

“Hmmm … depends,” Emily said, slowly uncurling herself, “is it like, sexy time plans? Or paint the town red plans? Because I can do the former, but if you’re expecting me to be down for the latter I’m going back to Victoria.”

Dan laughed at the idea of even wanting to do anything that resembles ‘painting the town red’. He’s thirty-nine years old.

“I’m not ready to be the lame uncle in ‘da club’,” he said, shutting the trunk, “but, uh, y’know/. Fuck it, you’ll see.”

The two struggled with her suitcases up the stairs ( _ “fuck babe, did you pack the apartment building?” _ ), when Emily stops in front of the door.

“Hey, I know I’m in a bit off mood ‘cause I’m tired, but I’m really fucking happy to be here. Now. With you,” she wraps her arms around Dan’s waist and tilts her head up for a kiss; to which Dan happily obliges. He lets her unlock the door after she makes a fuss about symbolism or something, and keels over laughing when she flicks on the lights and is immediately on the ground. The sound of a crowd of people yelling ‘SURPRISE!’ catching her by, well, surprise.

“ _ Oh _ good lord!” she exclaimed on the way down, making everyone laugh. Roe stepped forward and pulled her into a hug. Suzy came up and engulfed them both - Emily saw Arin against a wall just observing and she tried to focus on her two friends instead.

“By the way, I already warned Dan that I’ll be over every day so you can do my makeup,” Roe said smirking.

“Your face looks fine tho?”

“Yeah, ‘cause Suzy did it!”

Roe’s easy admission was already amusing to hear, but Suzy dusting imaginary lint off her shoulder made the three women erupt with new laughter.

After the girls: Matt, Ryan, Ross, and Brian - she took extra care to flip off the last two on sight - lined up to welcome her home. Barry was there briefly, socialised for a bit before leaving to deal with his own moving boxes. Other friends of the Dan's were there, people Emily had heard of at some point or another and she knew Dan wanted to introduce them. Jack couldn't be there but someone had splurged for a life-sized cardboard cut out that made Emily nervously laugh, and he was on Skype so it would have to do. Tony, Roe’s boyfriend, also wasn't there, but she and Leighla had been filled in on their relationship and she wasn't too surprised by his absence.

A couple months passed and Emily and Dan had found their rhythm and settled into a routine.

Dan, ever the early bird, was always the first out of bed. He did whatever he did, and in the last fifteen minutes or so he’d bring Emily her coffee and gently shake to semi-consciousness so that her alarm wouldn’t hit so hard, and leave to start his day. 

Once she had pressed the snooze button enough times, Emily would lay in bed another half hour until rolling out of bed and stumbling to the bathroom. She’d shower, maybe do the bare minimum for makeup and then migrate to the kitchen for leftovers of whatever Dan made or yoghurt. She might pack a lunch out of whatever they ate the night before, but not always. Emily’s eating habits were always horrendous. Living with Dan, despite how short that had been thus far, meant her meals were more well-rounded, but he couldn’t exactly help the frequency when he wasn’t there.

From there she’d grab her backpack and head to school. For the first few days, Emily had tried to take the bus because LA traffic was supposed horrendous. But it turned out the routes she could take to school, and you can’t belt out to your commute playlist in a vehicle full of people, so she quickly found a used small car that wouldn’t cost her her life in gas started taking that to school. While classes didn’t start for another month or so, Emily was still focusing on the work she had started back in Victoria. Turns out  _ Berkeley _ was willing to give her more wiggle room to  _ quickly _ fast track finish her Masters, and Emily tried not to feel guilty knowing other students don’t get that luxury because they don’t have grandparents to butter up for donations. A chat group she had with Colin and another professor here, a Mark Cooper who was his friend ( _ “I’m entrusting you with my brightest student - she’s basically already running circles around me!” Colin had said. “That’s not difficult” Mark quipped, both him and Emily smirking at Colin’s indignation _ ) was constantly blowing up the bottom corner of her laptop.

Sometimes if Dan’s day wasn’t too busy he’d drive over and they’d have lunch together. He did this the first few days. ‘Until you make some friends’ he had said, but wasn’t visibly taken aback when Emily told him she had no interest in doing so, nor would she really be able to given the amount of work she had to do. 

Lunch dates with Dan were far and few, more common was her grabbing a coffee from the coffee shop across the road and whatever pastry looked good in the display case and working through her break. Sometimes Roe would text her repeatedly so she’d look at her phone and make plans to meet somewhere near the school. 

The latter is what was happening today. Also happening: Emily scarfing down her pho in a way that would give judgy great-aunt Ruth a heart attack - so it was good.

“Do you ever eat?” Roe asked incredulously.

“Uhhhh, debatable,” Emily said, gesturing with her chopsticks, “living with Dan has really helped!”

“Yes, I know.”

“ _ But _ Dan only got in from the East coast this morning. So I didn’t really have a dinner? Then I accidentally turned off my alarm, which means I had to rush, so like, look, yeah it’s been a few hours since I had a decent meal.”

Roe rolled her eyes. “Okay  _ anyways,  _ okay, so I have an announcement,” Roe said, “I didn’t want to ‘say anything before because I don’t know if it’s like, for sure or anything - but I’m moving up to Washington!”

Emily could only stare at Roe but after a few seconds of letting the information sink in, her face split open with a wide grin.

“Wait, what? That’s awesome!” Emily exclaimed going around the corner to hug her best friend, “but also, why? Tell me everything,” she asked sitting back down.

Roe absolutely glowed as she explained their film theory department, the professors, programs, the various alumni (which she would admit were impressive). For an hour she talked about how much the change of pace from LA to Bellingham would be for a few years before she inevitably moved back. Before Emily could even get the full question out, Roe told her that Anthony had been accepted to a school in New York, and as of today, they were broken up.

“Oh honey I'm sorry,” Emily said, clasping her best friend’s hand across the table.

Roe shrugged with a sad look on her face, “it was a long time coming, things were, uhm, tense? yeah, tense when he realised I wouldn't just leave school to go across the country with him.”

Emily snorted, a year with Roe and Anthony obviously didn't know her. 

As happy as it made Emily seeing her friend so happy, she felt her joy tinged with a bit of sadness, not that she’d ever tell her friend. But she had missed her best friend when Roe moved down to States, and the biggest draw to moving to California, after  _ Berkeley _ of course, was a tie between Dan and her always abroad best friend.

“Well, just know you’re breaking my heart,” Emily said, jokingly putting a hand over her heart as the two got ready to leave. 

Roe shrugged, “okay, I guess I’ll break your heart,” she said, making Emily snort.

The two friends hugged, Emily, making Roe promise to call when it was time to pack up, and parted ways. Emily tried not to let her friend’s announcement affect the rest of her day, but it was a bummer added on top of her school stress and still adjusting to the new environment she was in.

Emily tried to go back to doing her work, but staring at the same photocopies of medieval journals just hurt her eyes. She packed up her things and got back into her car, all set to head home. On the way home though she saw the bright neon sign of a liquor store just a right turn off and decided ‘why not?’. Dan wasn’t a big drinker, keeping the odd six-pack of beer in the fridge for any friends that came over for a sports game, and while Emily wasn’t at risk of being an alcoholic, depending on who you ask, she did leave all her booze back in Canada because … well, bringing that much down on a plane when it was all easily replaceable would make people think she had a problem. 

She went in, found an old favourite bottle of rum that, admittedly, she probably could have gotten in a smaller size but dammit she didn’t want to and brought it to the counter where she had to force the leering, middle-aged man to take her ID.

Emily walked back out to the parking lot when she heard the vaguely familiar voice and a flash of long blonde hair.

“Dan?” the voice said to a friend, “I haven’t spoken to him years. Which is probably for the best, last I heard he was dating like, a literal child, I bet she turns like nineteen this year.”

Ah, this motherfucker.

“Melissa?” Emily called out, mentally fist pumping when the blonde turned around because that would have been embarrassing, “I actually turn twenty-four in a couple weeks.”

Emily didn’t know what to expect, and yet whatever Melissa did she knew wouldn't be a surprise, so she didn’t make a face when the older woman sneered at the younger and fully turned to look down at her.

“What are you, following me? I can’t believe you’re still around.”

“Arguably more so,” Emily quipped, “what with me transferring schools down here, and Dan and I going stronger than ever. ‘m probably gonna be around a lot longer than you were.”

Melissa was speechless and her friend was wide-eyed behind her, trying to conceal her giggles - and Emily felt a twinge of sympathy, only the slightest bit. Melissa needed better friends. Then again Melissa also needed to stop being a thirty-something bitch acting like a teen-bitch though, so really neither of those were really Emily’s business. 

“Dan could do better,” Melissa snapped, and Emily’s eyes could not roll back further into her head.

“And here I thought relationships were a mutual growth thing,” Emily shrugged, moving to put her rum into the trunk. 

“It’s a pity really, Dan is letting his mid-life crisis actually take over his life, and you’re taking advantage of that. Dan’s doing well, but your gold-digging ass is climbing up the wrong tree” Melissa tried one last time to get a rise out, the raised trunk door hiding Emily’s amusement at the irony, “you're both fucking pathetic”. And Emily isn’t too mature to admit that the immense joy she felt at Melissa jumping and trying to hide her fear when Emily slammed the trunk.  _ ‘Young people today are impulsive, less respectful and less wary of social norms what was Emily going to do to her?’ _ Emily could read it on her face.

“I … am sorry,” Emily said both walking towards her and speaking slowly, “like, maybe it’s the Canadian in me,  but I am  _ sorry _ that you never grew up, and are stuck in the mindset that, that you still deserve my - our attention, because you’re stuck in the past. And honestly? I don’t understand where you think you have the right to be so indignant. You don’t … you don’t have that right, and do you know why you don’t?” Emily asked, “because you,  _ you,  _ broke Dan’s heart. Not the other way around,”  she went to grab the older woman’s shoulder but thought better of it, “ _ because _ for, for, for fuck’s sake Melissa, he wanted to marry you” Melissa was dumbfounded, obviously not expecting to have that bomb dropped on her at four forty on a Tuesday afternoon. “You wouldn’t need to be harassing me if you weren’t such a judgemental  _ bitch _ twelve years ago, if, if, if you had realised just how amazing Dan is. But you did, and it's  _ your _ life that's cheapened for it. Dan moved on I think it's about time you fucking grew up and did too.”

Melissa was a statue, face blank but mind racing, which Emily took as her cue to leave, but not before remembering information Robert sent her after she accidentally let Melissa’s name drop in a rant. And in a moment of weakness decided that if Melissa was allowed to be a petulant child she could be too.

“By the way, it seems LA isn’t nearly as big as … all the fucking movies made it seem, or I don't fucking know. But anyways, you need to leave us alone, please, just stop” she levelled a stare with Melissa, “but if you do feel the need to harass me if we meet on the street again - you do work at a Sorcha, right? As in the high-end department stores owned by Duncan Ltd, as in my family, most importantly as in, and pay close attention: I’m sure James McLeod wouldn’t be happy to hear an employee of his was bullying his daughter.”

James McLeod had a reputation in the company for being something of a hardass, something that friends, family, and long-term employees were aware of as being somewhat false; but judging by how pale went, Melissa did not.

Emily hid her smirk until she got in the car and left the parking lot. But the only thought in her mind was how much she needed a drink.

Dan noticed a couple of things when he came back home a few hours later. The first was that he was that he was greeted with the sound of his own voice. Which wasn’t too odd, what threw him off was that Emily’s own voice wasn’t singing along to his cover of  _ In Your Eyes.  _ The second thing that caught his attention was the bottle of rum that he knew was not in the house when he left that morning. 

Luckily Emily wasn’t an active drunk, so instead of wandering off, she was sitting in front of the bottles, loosely holding a scotch glass in her hand. Coming around the couch Dan saw Emily for the first time with a blank look on her face and she brought the glass up to her mouth but just let it rest against her lips. He dropped the groceries on the armchair, and gently took the glass, set it on the table and hesitated, not knowing if Emily wanted to be touched. She leaned into him with prompting, and then Dan wrapped an arm around her and waited for her to speak first.

Emily sighed, “good news or bad news first?”

“Whichever you want,” he said softly.

“Hmmm,” she hummed “uhh, good … news … I guess. I mean, I mean it kinda depends on your perspective but uhm, the good news is Roe got accepted into a university up in Oregon, gonna go to school up there for a few years. But, uh, bad news, I ran into your ex Melissa and uhhhh got into a yelling match and threaten to take her job away from her so … that happened.”

“uhhhh…”

“yeah… not my greatest moment,” she looked up at Dan apologetically, “I'm sorry Dan I just … seeing her, and hearing the shit she was saying was just a, a, a rotten cherry on a  _ not great _ week and I lost it.”

“No, no, I'm sorry,” Dan said sadly, “I don't know why she's suddenly popping back up in my life, but it’s my fault for -”

“Nope!” Emily interrupted, “its been like fifteen years since you and that dickweed broke up, her acting like a bitch is on her, not you.”

Dan chuckled, “yeah, but you still shouldn’t have to deal that.”

“No, I shouldn’t,” Emily agreed and shrugged. “but it is what it is and it’s not like her being insane says anything about us … besides, I knew what I was getting into when I took up with an old man -”

“Hey!”

“Yeah, yeah,” she laughed, taking his hand and clasping it in her hand, “but I did. I knew there would be serious exes, maybe a secret kid? Who knows, but I knew you had … had lived a life before I came around. But I’ve also decided that you’re worth it,” she said simply, “you’re worth it, and I love you, even with the baggage and bullshit, I love you and all you come with and - and don’t cry!” she said, wiping away the unshed tear from Dan’s eye.

He laughed and took his hand back to rub his eyes, “I can cry if I want to!”

Emily snickered, “you can leave your friends behind?” 

The two shared a look, Dan deadpanning and Emily trying to look as innocent as possible before the two erupted into howls of laughter that were completely disproportionate to the joke; though completely appropriate for the home they had created together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally gonna be the last chapter before an epilogue, but I got one comment saying that they'd like it if aaycw went on for a bit more and as we all know: comments are worse than crack cocaine, so there'll be a few more chapters before this story draws to a close :)

**Author's Note:**

> Also, Polyvore shut down to some bullshit called Ssense? idk, but theres another website called fashmates which is nowhere near as good for outfit creators BUT I could import my polyvore sets, so my need to plan outfits can continue! lol  
> https://www.fashmates.com/shop-section-browse/eam/looks


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